More recently, the IVF revolution has enabled early human embryos to be studied in unprecedented detail outside the body, but still gastrulation has remained a mystery. Technical limitations have meant that no one has been able to keep them alive much beyond nine days, about halfway to the key developmental stage when the simple ball of embryonic cells begins to take on the identity of a proper body plan, with a top and a bottom, and the first signs of the distinctive triple layer of tissues that form the disc‑shaped “gastrula”.
Category: Fertility Clock Headlines
Missouri State Appeals Court to Decide Fate of Divorced Couple’s Frozen Embryos
The Missouri State Court of Appeals will decide whether a divorced woman has the right to implant two embryos she and her ex-husband had frozen nine years ago.
How Silicon Valley Will Replace Condoms
Male birth control, like death, is always just around the corner. In 2014, the hope was that Vasalgel, a non-hormonal polymer gel that can be injected into the vas deferens, would hit the market by 2017. But the Parsemus Foundation, the non-profit organization funding Vasalgel, has since revised that projection to 2018, pending successful human trials and “public support.”
The Donor Talk: When Kids Have a Sperm Donor
All three of our kids were conceived using sperm from the same anonymous open donor. We had a lot of reasons for choosing our donor, ranging from the frivolous (like me, his favorite sports team is the Red Sox and he loves mint chocolate chip ice cream), to the more practical, such as traits we hoped would make way into our kids (intelligent, artistic, and athletic). Ultimately, we chose our particular donor because he sounded a lot like me, physically and in terms of personality. Even though I knew my kids would not be genetically related to me, I was hoping I might see myself in their eyes if I chose a donor similar to me.
Feds Remind States That Medicaid Can Cover Costs of Contraception, Bug Spray to Prevent Zika Infections
Federal regulators are telling state Medicaid programs that they may cover mosquito repellent and condoms to prevent the spread of Zika — guidance that drew praise from public health officials, but might not result in much change for low-income residents enrolled in the public health insurance programs.
It Turns Out It’s Really Tough to ‘Disrupt’ Childbirth
Cutting the high cost and heartache of in-vitro fertilization isn’t as easy as Silicon Valley thought. Progyny, a startup that bills itself as “the Uber of fertility” as it touts new tactics and technologies to democratize the $10 billion-a-year IVF industry, has been forced to flip its strategy over the past six months in a bid to keep itself alive — and on the right side of health regulators, according to an investigation by The Post.
Third Baby Born in U.S. Shows Defect Tied to Zika Virus
A baby with Zika-linked microcephaly remained hospitalized in northern New Jersey on Wednesday with the first such birth defect case in the Northeast and the third in the nation, officials at Hackensack University Medical Center confirmed.
Greater Fertility Care Options Becoming Available for US Veterans
Historically, men and women who are currently serving or who have previously served in the United States military have limited treatment options when it comes to infertility resulting from service-related injury. Several organizations, including CNY Fertility Centers and Congress, have been pushing for new, free care options for men and women seeking infertility care.
Doctors Talk About Myth that Birth Control Causes Infertility
Sixty two percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44 use some form of birth control, whether that’s a pill, or something like an intrauterine device (IUD). That’s according to Dr. Laurie Birkholz, a women’s health physician at Lakeshore Health Partners. Not only is contraception a way to prevent unwanted pregnancy, it helps women plan when they want to have a child. It can even help with things like acne and heavy bleeding. While contraceptives are meant to prevent pregnancy while in use, some say they’re flat out causing infertility.
Infertility Can Take the Fun Out of Women’s Sex Lives
Women seeking fertility treatment, particularly young women, may experience a negative impact on their sex lives, although it will likely dissipate over time, according to a U.S. study.