How PGD is Helping to Eliminate Common Genetic Disease
When my patients are known carriers of a genetic disease – a single gene disorder – I strongly recommend Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) testing in conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Genetic diseases can be detected through PGD testing of embryos in vitro to eliminate passing on a single gene disorder to a child conceived via IVF.
Eliminate Common Genetic Disease From Being Passed On To Your Child
The most common genetic diseases tested for through PGD in conjunction with IVF are:
- Hemophilia
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Sickle Cell Anemia
- Tay Saches Disease
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Duchennes Muscular Dystophy
- Thalassemia
After a woman’s eggs have been surgically retrieved and fertilized in vitro, developing embryos will be tested upon reaching the blastocyst stage (5 to 6 days after fertilization occurs). Cells are gently removed from each embryo using microsurgery technology. Our expert embryologists then analyze the cells using a probe that is specifically designed to test for a specific gene disorder. PGD diagnoses a genetic defect in an embryo.Read more: How PGD is Helping to Eliminate Common Genetic Disease
Femara for Infertility Treatment
Letrozole – brand named Femara – is an oral superovulation drug commonly used for the treatment of infertility. The specialists at New Hope Fertility Center have decades of education, training, and clinical experience in fertility medication therapy. It can’t be emphasized enough. Having the expertise to know how long a patient should remain on Femara therapy is determinative of pregnancy success.
Look: Here is an overview of how Femara is used.
- To induce an egg to develop and be released in a woman who is not ovulating naturally
- To increase the chances of pregnancy for a woman who can ovulate naturally through superovulation
About Femara
Femara is an oral medication working to block a woman’s production of estrogen. The components making up Femara belong to a classification of medications known as aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase is an enzyme responsible for producing estrogen. Femara works to inhibit aromatase – suppressing estrogen production.
Decreased estrogen production stimulates a woman’s ovaries into growing multiple egg follicles. The pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate a woman’s ovaries into producing multiple egg follicles – FSH and LH.
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
These hormones cause:
- Ovulation in women who have diagnosed as anovulatory, or
- Increase in the number of eggs developed in women who have the ability to ovulate
Clomid for Infertility Treatment
Clomiphene citrate – brand named Clomid or Serophene – has long been the first choice oral drug for superovulation in the treatment of infertility. The specialists at New Hope Fertility Center have decades of education, training, and clinical experience in fertility medication therapy. Why is this important? Having the expertise to know how long a patient should remain on Clomid therapy is determinative of pregnancy success.
An Overview of Clomid
Clomid is an oral medication prescribed by our fertility doctors:
- To induce an egg to develop and be released in a woman who is not ovulating naturally
- To increase the chances of pregnancy for a woman who ovulate naturally through superovulation
Clomid is composed of two separate types of isomers:
- Zuclomiphene – 1/3 inert component making up Clomid
- Enclomiphene – 2/3 active component making up Clomid
Clomid works by blocking estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This blockage results in the stimulation of the pituitary gland into producing hormones causing a woman’s eggs to grow in her ovaries.Read more: Clomid for Infertility Treatment
Does Age Affect A Woman’s Egg Quality?
Yes. Age is a real factor when considering a woman’s egg quality when she is undergoing infertility treatment. As she ages past her prime maternal years, the quality of a woman’s eggs begins to decline – precipitously after age 37. A decrease in egg quality and quantity may be the reason behind a couple’s difficulty in conceiving and maintaining a successful pregnancy. Being aware of how a woman’s age can impact her fertility can help couples to make fully-informed decisions about what treatment option is best for them.
A woman in her prime reproductive years – 20s – has as 26 percent chance of getting pregnant with the one natural egg her body produces each month. Don’t despair if you are in your 30s or early 40s. Your quality eggs can still make a healthy baby. A woman is born with between 1 and 2 million eggs – however – she only releases 300 to 400 eggs through each natural ovulation cycle during her lifetime. Typically, a woman only releases one egg per month during her natural cycle. New Hope Fertility NYC’s policy: It only takes one good quality egg to have a healthy baby.
A Synopsis of the Decline in Egg Quality for Women
- Most women reach their peak fertility years between the ages of 23 and 31
- After age 31, a woman’s quality of eggs begins to decline
- 30 years = 20 percent chance of conceiving
- 31 years = fertility levels drop by three percent every year
- 35 years = fertility levels significantly declines
- 40 years = five percent chance of conceiving
One Good Egg Policy
The fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility NYC focus IVF treatment plans on producing high quality eggs – One Good Egg Policy – not a large quantity of eggs. When multiple eggs are produced, many are not suitable for fertilization in vitro and treatment is very hard on patients – physically and financially. Why is this important? Healthy, quality eggs achieve high IVF success rates for even those difficult patients who have been turned away from treatment at other fertility clinics. Bottom Line: For older women to get pregnant successfully through IVF, only one good egg and one healthy sperm is needed.Read more: Does Age Affect A Woman’s Egg Quality?
What You Should Know About Ovarian Tissue Freezing
A woman’s ability to reproduce in the future may be compromised for medical reasons. Ovarian tissue freezing is growing in popularity as a fertility preservation method, particularly for women who are about to undergo cancer treatment. There are a number of advantages to this manner of fertility preservation, making it ideal for many women. Ovaries are one of the main reproductive organs in a woman’s body. They are responsible for ovulation and also house all of her eggs. Unlike in men where sperm production is constant, women are born with all of the egg she will ever have. These eggs are stored in the outer layer of the ovaries until they are matured and ovulated.
Ovarian tissue freezing lets a woman freeze hundreds – if not thousands – of her eggs for future use in family planning. The ovarian tissue freezing procedure is performed by laparoscopy to remove tissue from the outer membrane of a woman’s ovary. Later, this ovarian tissue is re-implanted and regains its function by producing eggs naturally. As a new and cutting-edge method offered by New Hope Fertility Center’s Division of Fertility Preservation – ovarian tissue freezing is growing in popularity for women.
About Ovarian Tissue Freezing
Ovarian tissue freezing can be performed on very short notice – unlike egg and embryo freezing alternatives. There are many females who should consider ovarian tissue freezing.
- Female children who do not have fully developed ovaries
- Female children or teenage girls who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Women in their prime reproductive years who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Women wanting to postpone motherhood past their prime reproductive years
- Women wanting to donate their ovarian tissue to help women who are unable to produce good eggs
The National Institutes of Health reported that [h]uman ovarian tissue transplantation has resulted in the birth of over 70 children worldwide. Preserving female fertility through ovarian tissue freezing is trending today because it is a proven safe and successful procedure. According to a 2015 study published in the journal of Human Reproduction, 10 out of 32 women facing chemotherapy were able to conceive naturally after undergoing ovarian tissue freezing before cancer treatment.Read more: What You Should Know About Ovarian Tissue Freezing
Benefits of Freezing Your Eggs
Egg freezing is an innovative method of preserving eggs for a time in the future when a woman is ready to start her family. Frozen eggs can also be donated to other couples who are unable to conceive due to poor quality eggs. Women choose to freeze their eggs for a wide variety of reasons. Today’s women must know all of their options to preserve their fertility for future family planning, including:
- Egg Freezing – Oocyte Cryopreservation
- Embryo Freezing and the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) process
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing
- Gestational Surrogacy
Egg Freezing Through IVF – Oocyte Cryopreservation
Egg freezing performed through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the most common type of fertility preservation treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Through IVF, a woman’s natural egg production is stimulated with fertility drugs into producing several eggs – 10 to 15 typically per cycle. These eggs are then surgically retrieved and cryopreserved using an advanced technique known as vitrification.
Vitrification – Flash Freezing Method
New Hope Fertility Center in NYC is a world renowned provider of egg freezing treatment for today’s woman. Dr. John Zhang was one of the first doctors in the United States to implement vitrification as a method of freezing eggs. The Doctor was one of the first doctors in New York to facilitate a live birth using egg freezing fertility preservation.
Vitrification is a flash-freezing method preventing the formation of ice crystals between the cells forming an egg. Ice crystals can damage an egg’s cells.Read more: Benefits of Freezing Your Eggs
How ICSI Enhances IVF Treatment
Male reproductive issues are just as likely to cause a couple’s infertility as female issues. Male fertility issues include low sperm count, the absence of sperm, issues with sperm movement, and abnormal sperm shape. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a cutting edge medical technique used in conjunction with IVF to increase the chances of a sperm fertilizing an egg. ICSI is a form of micromanipulation that involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg (oocyte) using a glass needle (pipette). If there is any problem with a sperm’s ability to fertilize the egg (either due to low sperm count or poor sperm quality) ICSI is the most common and accurate method for solving it. Our colleagues were part of the original Belgian team that developed ICSI, and who first introduced it in the U.S. Eggs are retrieved in the same way as if you were doing conventional IVF, however, the eggs and the sperm are then fertilized in the laboratory, by direct injection of a single sperm into each egg. Two to five days later the resulting embryos are placed into the uterus (without surgery), just as with IVF procedures and any other embryos can be frozen for later using our method of vitrification.
ICSI Enhances IVF Treatment
In order to fertilize an egg, sperm must be able to penetrate the egg. This is a problem if there are a low number of sperm, if sperm are abnormally shaped, or if the sperm is not motile enough to reach and penetrate into the egg.
ICSI addresses all of these issues.
- An egg is surgically retrieved via IVF
- A single sperm is placed in a small syringe attached to a tiny needle
- A single egg is held and the single sperm is injected into the middle of the egg
- The egg is then monitored for signs of fertilization
Healthy Lifestyle Choices While Undergoing IVF Treatment
Many of my IVF patients procrastinate on making healthy lifestyle changes before treatment. If you are contemplating IVF treatment, you must begin healthy lifestyle habits at least six months before you begin the process to prepare your body for pregnancy. Don’t wait until you are pregnant to get serious about a healthy lifestyle. Good lifestyle choices will greatly boost your fertility and help you have a healthy baby.
Preparing for IVF Treatment
A successful IVF is greatly supplemented by a patient’s reliable fertility diet and healthy body mass index. I always offer my patients helpful resources by recommending they avoid detrimental lifestyle choices.
This is true regardless of your chosen IVF protocol.
Begin an Acupuncture Regimen
Without a doubt, beginning acupuncture treatment three months before your IVF transfer will enhance your chances of a successful pregnancy. Studies have shown that women who underwent acupuncture before, during and after IVF embryo transfer increased their chances of pregnancy by up to 42 percent. Why is this important? The pregnancy success rate of those who did not undergo acupuncture was only 26 percent.
In-House Acupuncture Therapy and IVF
These phenomenal IVF success rates are why New Hope Fertility NYC unveiled its in-house acupuncture therapy treatment program in July of 2017! Our acupuncturists are specially trained in acupuncture therapy with a focus on treating women’s infertility. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes for Health have found that acupuncture is a viable and accepted method of treating female infertility.
- Enhances IVF success rates
- Reduces stress during IVF treatment
- Enhance ovarian function
- Increase blood supply to reproductive organs – especially the uterus
The IVF Embryo Transfer Acupuncture Plan
Acupuncture can begin at any time during your fertility treatment – but this is the best plan of action:
- Plan an acupuncture treatment on the morning of your transfer
- Plan another in the afternoon following your transfer
- Book an acupuncture session five days after your transfer
- Book a follow up acupuncture session 5 to 7 days later
Read more: Healthy Lifestyle Choices While Undergoing IVF Treatment
Preserving Your Fertility Through Egg Freezing in 2017
Too often, I hear stories of women who have been turned down by fertility clinics because they are difficult patients. These women have been declined based on their advanced reproductive age and/or poor prognosis for achieving a successful pregnancy through IVF treatment. At New Hope Fertility Center in NYC, age is never a discriminating factor for my patients.Why is this important? We do not boost our high IVF pregnancy success data by rejecting patients based on strict criteria. Taking on very difficult patients and helping them overcome their infertility encompasses the overall goal of our One Good Egg Policy. Here, we are committed to treating all patients suffering from infertility – regardless of their diagnosed difficulty. Bottom Line: To get pregnant successfully, only one good egg and one healthy sperm is needed.
New Trends in Egg Freezing
In recent years, egg freezing parties are being sponsored by many fertility clinics. Fertility specialist reach out to women wanting to know more about the medical phenomena of egg freezing to preserve their future fertility. Potential patient are invited to a social party where they will be educated and informed about the benefits of egg freezing.
Candidates for Egg Freezing
It’s very important to realize that egg freezing is not just beneficial to young women in their 20s. Today, many women in their late 30s or early 40s have successfully frozen their eggs.
These women were blessed with a baby when they decided the time is right for them to get pregnant. I recommend women take action to freeze their eggs in their mid to late 30s for the best chance of a successful pregnancy in their 40s.
Successful pregnancies achieve the highest rates when eggs are thawed and transferred to the patient within five years. However, oocytes can be frozen indefinitely.
As the Medical Director for New Hope Fertility Center, I see many women considering egg freezing in their late 30’s and early 40’s.Read more: Preserving Your Fertility Through Egg Freezing in 2017
Prevent Pregnancy Loss and Infant Loss, Best Fertility Doctor Recommendations
Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month in October is a national movement spearheaded by PAil FAMiLiES UNITED IN SOLACE & SUPPORT. During the month of October, PAiL International will promote awareness, remembrance, and support for families who have experienced a pregnancy loss or the loss of an infant.
- Spontaneous Abortion (SAB)
- Still Birth
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Preventing Pregnancy Loss
The fertility experts at New Hope Fertility Center in New York City want to spread awareness about pregnancy loss and how to cope with this devastating event through Professional In-House Fertility Counseling with Allison Rosen Ph.D. That’s not all: In their role as partners in spreading awareness about pregnancy loss, New Hope Fertility Clinic’s New York fertility doctors are dedicated to promoting how patients can reduce their risks of having a miscarriage through genetic testing in conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Introducing In-House Fertility Clinical Psychologist, Allison Rosen, PhD
As an experience clinical psychologist specializing in infertility, Dr. Allison Rosen has helped hundreds of couples cope during their struggle to have a baby.
- Experienced Clinical Psychologist
- Researcher
- Author
- Educator
Through individual, couple, and group counseling, the doctor addresses the many challenges of dealing with infertility including:
- Pregnancy Loss
- Couple Conflict and Coping
- Complex Decisions Involved in Family Building Through Donor Egg or Sperm
- Parenting After Infertility
Read more: Prevent Pregnancy Loss and Infant Loss, Best Fertility Doctor Recommendations
