Monthly Archives: March 2020
Macrolide Antibiotics in Early Pregnancy Linked to Birth Defect Risk
A recent article in Newsweek discusses how macrolide antibiotics used in early pregnancy have been linked to birth defects – according to a recent study by BMJ published January 7, 2020. Finding showed that pregnant women who take certain types of antibiotics have a greater risk of having a baby with birth defects. Ironically, leaving an infection untreated is a greater risk to the fetus.
Macrolide Antibiotics Rx in Early Pregnancy
Macrolides are among the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to pregnant women in Western countries. Advice on whether they should be used on women carrying a high risk pregnancy varies. Doctors often give macrolides antibiotics to pregnant women who are allergic to penicillin – which has long been thought to be a safe alternative.
Major birth defects recorded:
- 55 per 1,000 children of whose mothers were prescribed macrolides
- 36 per 1,000 children whose mothers were prescribed penicillin during pregnancy
Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM)
MFM is the specialized medical practice of treating a high-risk pregnancy. These specialists handle every pregnancy-related issue that isn’t routine – such as taking antibiotics for an infection. At New Hope Fertility, we understand how critical it is for an expectant mother to be healthy so that she maintains an ongoing pregnancy and birth.
The goal of a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor is to closely monitor pregnant women for any indication of troublesome issues in the present – or near future. Having a high risk pregnancy doesn’t mean something will go wrong. Your MFM doctor will take extra care of you and your baby to avoid foreseeable risk factors.
New Hope Fertility in NYC offers referrals and in-house treatment options for Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctors. Our goal is to help you manage a high-risk pregnancy, while improving your own health.
Maternal Fetal Medicine Consultation
To schedule your consultation with a Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctor referred by New Hope Fertility, call Dr. John Zhang – at 212.969.7422.
Family Balancing Through Gender Selection Technology
More and more women are using gender selection technology in conjunction with IVF to choose the sex of their babies. This is known as Family Balancing. Depending on the sex of children presently in a family, parents can select the gender of their next planned baby. Family Balancing is available to New Hope Fertility patients by using PGS/NGS testing of embryos as the culture and develop in vitro. Resulting embryos are closely monitored by our skilled embryologist using state-of-the-art EmbryoScope technology.
Family Balancing Popularity is a Growing Trend
Gender selection is socially acceptable and gaining in popularity. No longer is gender selection stigmatized as a social engineering tool used to make designer babies. Gender identification and selection technology can easily help you choose the sex of your baby. PGS/NGS technology in conjunction with IVF will help you choose the sex of your baby with 99% accuracy
You can balance the sexes of your future family with genetic testing technology.
Gender Identification and Selection Technology
Gender selection is a beneficial by-product of genetic testing for abnormalities in embryos culturing in vitro. Through genetic testing, the sex of each embryo is identifiable.
The Make-Up of an Embryo’s Gender
The chromosomes of a sperm determine an embryo’s gender.
- A man’s sperm can carry either the X or Y chromosome
- A woman’s egg only contributes the X chromosome to the fertilized embryo
- An embryo with XY makeup is male
- An embryo with XX makeup is female
Genetic Identification and Selection Procedure
Genetic testing is performed in conjunction with IVF in a controlled laboratory setting. Three days after fertilization of the patient’s eggs in vitro, cells are removed from each of the embryos developing.
- A small sample of cells are is removed from the embryo by a highly skilled embryologist using a laser and a microscopic glass needle
- The cells’ genetic makeup is analyzed by the embryologist under a microscope
- A decision is made as to the quality of each of the individual embryos
- Only high quality embryos are used in completion of a fresh IVF cycle
- Only high quality embryos are cryopreserved for future FET procedures
Other Benefits of Genetic Testing in Conjunction with IVF
The benefits of genetic testing conjunction with IVF include:
- Screening out embryos carrying a genetic disease
- Predicting the risk of a genetic disease
- Screening out abnormalities
- Improving birth rates of healthy babies through IVF
Dr. Zhang recommends universal blastocyst embryo screening for his patients because the procedure can help increase their chances of a pregnancy by 30 percent.
- Women over 37 who are undergoing IVF
- Women who have had two or more unsuccessful IVF cycles
- Women under 35 who have experienced two or more miscarriages – recurrent miscarriage
- Women who are over 35 and have experience one miscarriage
Proven Increase in IVF Pregnancy Rates
State-of-the-art embryo biopsy techniques and genetics technologies have proven to increase IVF pregnancy rates. Through the medical marvel of PGS/NGS in conjunction with IVF, genetic and chromosomal abnormalities can be detected in embryos.
Genetic Testing For Informed Decisions
- Only high quality embryos are transferred to the patient’s uterus
- Only high quality embryos are cryopreserved for future Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedures
Genetic Testing Detects Low Quality Embryos
As a woman advances in age, the chance for chromosomal abnormalities in embryos increases. Low quality embryos result in:
- Low pregnancy success rates
- High miscarriage rates
- High chance for birth defects
Gender Selection Expertise
Please discuss your family planning goals during your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 212.969.7422.
How ICSI Technology Helps the Fertility of Older Men
It is a myth that men remain fertile throughout their lives. Male fertility actually declines with age – quite dramatically according to a recent IVF study. This new study showed that men cannot conceive children just because they can perform sexually. The older a man is, the harder it is for him to conceive with a partner. About 1/3rd of couples seeking infertility treatment cannot get pregnant due to male-factor infertility. Infertility does not discriminate between females and males. A man’s age should be considered as much as a woman’s when it comes to fertility.
Male-Factor IVF/ICSI Study
Close to 5,000 men undergoing IVF using ICSI to fertilize eggs took part in the study by The Centre for Reproductive & Genetic Health.
- Only 42 percent of men over 51 had quality sperm
- Compare – 61 percent of men under 51 had quality sperm
Male-Factor Infertility
Even if a man’s sperm count is normal – it may not be optimal for getting a woman pregnant naturally. Men with normal sperm counts can still be contributing to a couple’s infertility due to several factors.
In order to be considered fertile, a man’s sperm must:
- Be present in sufficient quantities
- Be shaped normally
- Swim in the correct direction
- Swim at the right speed
Should any of these functions be diagnosed as abnormal, a man may not be able to impregnate a woman because his sperm cannot penetrate her egg. A man may be infertile even if he produces adequate quantities of sperm in ejaculate. Should his sperm be misshaped or not move correctly, fertilization will be difficult, if not impossible.
ICSI Successfully Treats Male-Factor Infertility
Male-factor infertility is successfully treated using Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) technology in conjunction with IVF. ICSI is the direct injection of a single sperm into an egg.
- Once surgically retrieved, each egg is injected with a single sperm
- Fertilized eggs are then monitored for signs of embryo development
- Resulting embryos are closely monitored as they develop through EmbryoScope technology
- A healthy embryo is then selected and transferred to the mother’s uterus
- Excess quality embryos are frozen for future Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET).
ICSI and IVF Pregnancy Success
While pregnancy success may vary based on the quality of the sperm, typically between 75 and 85 percent of eggs become fertilized with the use of ICSI. Our Pregnancy Success Rates are reliant on the health of embryos transferred. Only quality eggs and sperm create healthy embryos.
ICSI Technology Expertise for Older Men
To schedule your consultation about how ICSI can help you conceive, call Dr. John Zhang – 212.969.7422.
