Hello all, once again life has reared its head and I didn’t get the time to post last week. Hopefully, I will be able to fix that this week. Here are the new stories of the last week. Enjoy!
First off I found this article on Techcrunch about a new device that promises to be able to help increase couples chances to conceive. I am not sure exactly how the device works, but it certainly piqued my interest. It sounds like the device monitors basal temperature levels, and a few other data points to identify peak fertility points (ovulation) each month. I hope they are successful.
DuoFertility Is A Fertility Monitoring Sensor-Plus-Service That Helps Childless Couples Get Pregnant
Techcrunch April 1, 2013
UK startup DuoFertility is tackling a really tough problem: infertility. The company has built a sensor-plus-service business to predict the most fertile days of women who are having difficulty conceiving to improve the chances of conception — hence its tagline: “assisted natural conception”. There is no invasive technology involved, just a lot of number crunching.
The startup’s approach sits somewhere in the middle of the competition in this space. It argues its technology is more sophisticated than more basic over-the-counter physical products such as home urine tests or body-basal-thermometers (which are also cheaper than DuoFertility’s offering), as the data captured by its wearable sensor is more accurate. Data is also sent back to DuoFertility staff for monitoring and reviewing – so it’s being looked at by specialist staff using bespoke algorithms rather than generalised models…
ART (assisted reproductive technology) is also widely used for selective breeding in the animal kingdom, or, in this case, breeding period.
Trying again for a baby panda
Washington March 30, 2013
So much for Date Night.
After determining “no competent breeding” had occurred between Giant Pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian on Friday , despite the two having been left alone together for a couple hours, scientists and veterinarians at the Smithsonian National Zoo moved quickly Saturday morning to artificially inseminate the female, Mei Xiang.
Pandas are able to breed once a year for a few days. And Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have never been successful breeding naturally, said Zoo spokesman Pamela Baker-Masson. Their only living offspring, Tai Shan, who was born in 2005 and nicknamed Butterstick, was the product of human intervention, and since then scientists and veterinarians have inseminated Mei Xiang five times without success.
This next article is about gay marriage and how it can be viewed as a form of infertility. Specifically in context with that would mean with regards to the contentious Prop 8.
Why the infertility issue will finally end the divide over same-sex marriage (Commentary)
March 31, 2013
WASHINGTON — Will the gay marriage debate ever end? I’m not just talking about the political or legal fight. I’m talking about the culture war. Supporters of same-sex marriage liken it to interracial marriage, an idea that once seemed bizarre to most Americans but is now almost universally accepted. Opponents of gay marriage liken it to abortion, which continues to divide and inflame the country. Which way will this battle go?
Until now, I thought it would rage on. Same-sex marriage is far more radical than interracial marriage. It challenges our basic understanding of the institution. You can’t expect people to accept such a change overnight.
But now I see a way out. Tuesday’s Supreme Court hearing on Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, has exposed the exit route…
Want to learn how to inseminate cattle? Well, probably not, but now there is a school for just that. Don’t forget to register soon, as this is a one time opportunity :)
Beef cattle artificial insemination school coming April 30-May 2
thecattlenetwork.com March 26, 2013
Beef cattle producers who want boost their profit potential by increasing success with artificial insemination can attend a school on the subject April 30 through May 2, taught by Ohio State University Extension and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center experts.
The three-day program covers a broad range of artificial insemination topics, including factors that influence reproduction efficiencies, heat synchronization, semen handling and thawing.
An interesting story about an IVF nurse that gets some disturbing genetic test results and her fertility journey.
An IVF Nurse Becomes an IVF Patient
The Official Counsyl blog March 30, 2013
An IVF nurse that needs IVF, how ironic? That is the thought that kept running through my head as I stared at our Counsyl results. Smith-Lemli-Opitz? What was this? I had never heard of it and certainly did not expect to be a carrier of this. Smith-Lemli-Optiz? How could these 3 words be changing all of our plans? I read the report over and over. How could this be happening?
It all started when a doctor I work with came back from a conference and informed us of this new test called Counsyl. She described this test, how it tests for multiple recessive diseases, like cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy, and how its costs were less than just getting screened for cystic fibrosis. I knew this test sounded like something I wanted to do, along with my husband. I wanted to “make sure” we did not carry anything on the test. I assumed we did not but felt it would be the responsible thing to do. I worked with Counsyl to set up our clinic to offer the test to our patients.
Last story of the day is about a recent study that claims that IVF related birth defects are not actually caused by the treatment, but by the parents.
Study Says Fertility Treatments Not to Blame for Baby’s Developmental Delays — So, What Is?
The Babybump blog March 27, 2013
New research sheds light on why babies born from in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments have shown a higher risk for developmental delays. In the past, low birth weight, issues with brain development and premature birth have all been correlated with fertility treatments. Researchers are now noticing that while it’s possible the treatments themselves are contributing to the alterations in development, it’s also time to factor in infertility as one of the precursors to these developmental issues.
That’s it for today folks, enjoy your Tuesday!
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