Men and women who donated their sperm or egg cells anonymously should consider revealing their identity to their biological children, a study into the ethics of donor conception has recommended.
Tag: conception
ND lawmakers define life as starting at conception
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota didn’t set out to become the abortion debate’s new epicenter.
It happened by accident, after a legislative caucus that once vetted abortion bills languished, leaving lawmakers to propose a flurry of measures — some cribbed from Wikipedia — without roadblocks.
Long dismissed as cold and inconsequential, North Dakota is now trying to enact the toughest abortion restrictions in the nation. The newly oil-rich red state may soon find itself in a costly battle over legislation foes describe as blatantly unconstitutional.
“It had to happen some place,” said Sen. John Andrist, a Crosby Republican who has served in the Legislature for more than two decades.
“I’m from the group who hates voting on abortion issues and who don’t like to play God,” said Andrist, who describes himself as “moderately pro-life” and has voted for some but not all of the restrictions North Dakota has taken up this year. “But we have some strong-willed people in this state who do.”
Lawmakers on Friday took a step toward outlawing abortion altogether in the state by passing a so-called personhood resolution that says a fertilized egg has the same right to life as a person. The House’s approval sends the matter to voters, who will decide whether to add the wording to the state’s constitution in November 2014. Read full article.
German Bishops Agree Catholic Hospitals Can Prescribe Emergency Contraception to Rape Victims
German bishops have agreed that Roman Catholic-run hospitals should be allowed to prescribe the morning-after pill to rape victims to prevent conception.
Three Birthdays One Day of Conception
For Joyce Mallon, the births of her three children are “a miracle.” Conceived on October, 26, 2007, in a lab by in vitro fertilization, the embryos were implanted into her uterus at two-year intervals, giving her and her husband three children conceived on the same day but born years apart.
“They are my Tripblings!! Triplets via conception, siblings by actual birth,” she wrote in an e-mail sent to CNN. “I believe our story to be an exciting and intriguing one, that NO ONE in the U.S. (to my knowledge), has any claim to.”
Fertility experts say while the Mallon births are exciting, they’re not a first. With better freezing techniques, many babies have been born by doing what the Mallons did: creating a group of embryos, using some to start one pregnancy, and then freezing the rest for future pregnancies. Three babies born this way aren’t triplets, but rather three genetically unique siblings conceived on the same day and born years apart.
NEJM Study Uses SART Data to Show ART Live-Birth Rates Approach Those of Natural Conception
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine links data from the SART Clinic Outcome Reporting System to show that, with favorable patient and embryo characteristics, ART live-birth rates approach those of natural conception.
Sperm Collide and Crawl the Walls in Chaotic Journey to Egg
In sex education videos the race of sperm to egg is portrayed like an Olympic swimming final as sperm surge purposefully down the female reproductive tract to the finish line. The reality, however, may be rather less elegant.
ASRM/SART Comment on NEJM Article on Increased Risk of Birth Defects Following IVF
Statement Attributable to Linda Giudice, MD, PhD, President-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM): “This study confirms what has been known for quite some time: Patients who need medical assistance to conceive have a somewhat higher risk of having children with birth defects than parents able to conceive on their own. Patients considering medically assisted conception have been, and should continue to be, counseled on those risks prior to undergoing any treatment.”
Last Ditch Effort to Pass Personhood Legislation Fails in Oklahoma
Legislation to define an unborn child to include “the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development” never made it to a final vote in the Oklahoma House. SB1433, was approved by the Oklahoma Senate in February and later amended by a House committee, but Republican House leaders refused to bring the controversial bill to a vote late last week after an unprecedented number of amendments were filed on the bill in attempts to protect vital forms of reproductive care.
New Fertility Microscope Allows Parents to Watch Baby from Conception
A sophisticated new microscope makes it possible for fertility doctors to monitor the developing fertilized egg continuously for up to five days. It means any abnormal changes can be spotted and the egg discarded so only the best quality ones with the best chance of creating a healthy pregnancy are transferred to the womb.
The Effect of Alcohol on Fertility
The data regarding the effects of moderate alcohol intake on fertility is inconclusive at this time. The largest prospective studies conducted in Europe indicate that high levels of alcohol consumption are associated with greater difficulty conceiving.
One small Danish study identified a slight delay in conception even with alcohol ingestion of 5 drinks or less per week. However, this research relies on self-reporting of alcohol consumption which may be inaccurate. In many cases, the studies do not fully account for other factors that could be affecting fertility.
Don’t Overdo It
When you are attempting to conceive, taking a moderate approach to alcohol consumption is the wisest course of action. If having an occasional beer or glass of wine once or twice a week is part of your normal lifestyle, this is unlikely to have a significant effect on your ability to conceive. Drinking every day or consuming several drinks at one sitting is behavior you should avoid. High levels of alcohol can negatively affect many aspects of your health and is probably not good for eggs or sperm development either.
Alcohol and Pregnancy
If you think you might be pregnant, it’s time to stop consuming alcohol. Fetal harm from exposure to alcohol in the womb can lead to lifelong health problems. In fact, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) caused by maternal alcohol consumption is the leading identifiable cause of neuro-developmental disorders and birth defects in babies. No “safe level” of prenatal alcohol exposure has been identified, so pregnant women are advised to abstain from alcoholic beverages altogether.