Three Pre Natal Nutrients Shown to Make Babies Healthier And Smarter!

New evidence suggests that mothers who take 3 key nutrients before and during pregnancy may give birth to smarter, healthier babies!  Here’s what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

Want to give birth to a smarter baby?  Make sure to get  an adequate supply of the mineral iron and the nutrient folic acid (vitamin B9) before and during your pregnancy! 

That’s the exciting  result from a new study released today by researchers in Nepal India. Here doctors found that women who took  prenatal vitamins containing both iron and folic acid  before and during pregnancy gave birth to children with more highly developed cognitive skills, as well as better developed motor skills than the babies born to moms who skipped these important nutrients.

The children  whose mother’s took the vitamins also showed a higher, more developed level of reasoning skills and displayed an enhanced sense of behavioral skills including inhibitory controls,  when compared to babies whose mother’s did not have the benefit of these nutritional supplements.

While most women are aware of the importance of taking prenatal vitamins while they are pregnant, fertility experts like Dr. Niels Lauersen say too many still don’t realize the importance of also taking these vitamins before they even try to conceive.

“Many women are pregnant 6, 8 or even 10 weeks before they know it- a time when your baby is going through critical stages of development that could greatly benefit from many nutrients, but particularly folic acid,” says Lauersen,   co- author of the new book “ Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies” 

So, says Lauersen,  taking a daily prenatal or high potency  vitamin beginning two months prior to when you want to conceive will help ensure that your baby’s nutritional needs are met from the moment of  conception. 

Iron supplements, say Lauersen are most critical towards the end of the pregnancy, as the baby’s blood supply begins to expand putting extra stress on the mother’s supply. 

The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that up to one-half of all pregnant women in developing countries are anemic at the time during pregnancy due to a lack of iron. 

Vitamin D Helps Baby Breathe Better! 

If  you want to breathe easy about your baby’s ability to breathe,  make sure you get an adequate supply of Vitamin D during your pregnancy.  How can this help?

In a new study just published today in the journal Pediatrics,  a group of Harvard researchers found that  babies born with low levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream, were much more likely to develop wheezing problems, and were more susceptible to infant respiratory infections, including Bronchiolitis, a viral infection of the lungs,  that is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants. In the US.

Conversely, babies born with higher levels of Vitamin D appeared to gain protection against these common health problems.

The level of vitamin D in a baby’s bloodstream  is a direct reflection of the amount of Vitamin D in the mother’s bloodstream during gestation. And in a previous study these same researchers proved that the risk of infection was higher amongst babies born to mothers who did not have adequate levels of vitamin D during pregnancy.

In the new study the doctors directly examined the cord blood samples taken from 922 children in New Zealand, looking for their specific levels of vitamin D.  The researchers then followed the children for a period of  five years, periodically assessing their health via questionnaires filled out by their mothers.

The result: Researchers found the lower the level of vitamin D in each child’s cord blood sample, the higher their risk of developing wheezing problems during the first five years of life.  Those with exceptionally low levels of D were twice as likely to develop respiratory infections including colds, coughs and ear infections during the first three critical months of life.   Doctors reported that the D-deficient babies also experienced a greater risk of infections and illness overall, when compared to  babies with higher levels of D in their cord blood.

The one surprising finding in the study was that the lack of vitamin D and the increase in wheezing did not appear to correlate with a higher risk of asthma.

That said, according to the book Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies, even if a lack of vitamin D does not increase your baby’s risk of asthma, making certain your levels remain high during pregnancy could ultimately help reduce the severity of any  asthma that does occur, simply   by reducing the  risk of respiratory conditions known to exacerbate the disease.

The body makes Vitamin D naturally via exposure to the sun - you'll need about 20 minutes a day without sunblock to reach minimum levels.  You will likely need vitamin D supplements to reach the maximum amount necessary to improve your baby's health. 

 For more information on the key vitamins, minerals and other micro-nutrients that can help you get pregnant as well as increase your baby’s health once you do conceive,  visit Green Fertility.com  or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

 

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the mention of any products or services featured in these posts.

New Prenatal Test Promises a Safer Way To Detect Abnormalities

A groundbreaking new blood test promises to isolate potential genetic defects as early as the 9th week of pregnancy -without any risk to mother or baby. Here's what you need to know.


By Colette Bouchez

If a group of Hong Kong doctors are right, it may now be possible to map out an unborn baby’s entire genetic blueprint using just one tube of the mother’s blood – and do it  as early as the 9^th week of pregnancy. 

That’s the hope for  a brand new  blood test that promises to give parents the information they need about the health of their unborn baby, without the need for invasive testing that carries a risk of miscarriage. 

Indeed,  at present the most common way to detect a fetal abnormality is a procedure known as amniocentesis. In  this test –  usually performed between the 15^th and 20^th week of pregnancy – doctors insert  a needle into the mother’s abdomen to extract samples of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby in the uterus. By testing this fluid doctors are able to map out an array of potential genetic birth defects.

While the test works exceedingly well, it is not without it’s drawbacks – the most serious of which is a 1% risk of miscarriage . This procedure-induced pregnancy loss becomes even more overwhelming when the parents learn that the test results are normal – and their baby would have been normal as well. 

But now a   team of scientists from the Chinese University in Hong Kong promise to do away with any risk of that heartbreak by using the new non-invasive blood test to detect  the same problems as an amniocentesis, without any risk to mother or baby.  And, to do so as early as the 9^th week of pregnancy.

In the past  looking for genetic disorders via a blood test was a long and laborious process requiring a separate set of parameters for each individual disorder.  This was because doctors believed only isolated portions of a baby’s DNA were present in the mother’s blood.

Now however, the Hong Kong doctors say their groundbreaking discovery  reveals that  the entire genetic blueprint for each child is present in a single sample of a mother’s blood. This , they say, opens the door to detecting an entire  range of genetic abnormalities -   including the most common  forms of anemia known as alpha and beta thelassaemia, as well as cystic fibrosis  - with a single, non -invasive test.

 Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, who led the research, told the Deutsche Presse –Agentur that the process of teasing out all the elements to make the test work was on the order of “assembling a jigsaw containing a million pieces.”

So how did they do it?  The new  blood test works, say experts, by first isolating the chromosomes inherited from the father, and then locating the rest of the baby’s DNA by looking for differences in the level of gene concentration in the mother’s blood –indicating which genes the baby inherited. 

Together, these two pieces of information  form the  genetic blueprint of the unborn child. 

While the blood test is indeed promising,  presently it’s very costly. The researchers say their  next step is to bring the cost down, which the scientists believe is entirely possible by reducing the search to include only  the most common genetic defects.  The new, more affordable  test could become available worldwide  as early as the coming year.  

For more information on ways to prevent the risk of birth defects related to miscarriage visit Green Fertility.com – or pick up a copy of Green Fertility – Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

 Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.  The creators and authors of this blog may or may  not benefit from the mention of products or services featured in these pages.

Could DHEA Be The Natural Fertility Wonder Drug?

A one-time controversial supplement, DHEA gained new status when a study found it could help older women make better eggs. Now new research shows it may cast an even wider net in helping women of all ages get pregnant.  Here's what you need to know.


By Colette Bouchez 


It was just a few years ago - 2005 to be exact - that a study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility found that supplements of a hormone known as DHEA (short for dehydroepianodrostone) could help older women undergoing IVF treatments make more and possibly better quality eggs. 


Now new research out of Israel shows it may not just be older women who can benefit from this supplement - but all women trying to get pregnant.  In research conducted at  Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel  led by Adrian Shulman, MD, doctors discovered that women who took supplements of DHEA before undergoing IVf treatments had triple the rate of pregnancy success compared to women who did not take the supplements.  Moreover, the DHEA supplements appeared to work as well on younger women as the earlier studies showed it worked on older women.

What Is DHEA - And How It Helps You Get Pregnant.

While the use of some supplements, particularly herbs, can date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, the use of DHEA supplements is relatively new.  As a compound made by the body naturally, it is a precursor necessary for the production of steroid hormones -including some directly involved in reproduction.  While it is normally present in the male body in large amounts - and is a precursor to manufacturing testosterone - in a womans' body it's usually present in much smaller amounts. 

While no one is certain of the exact mechanism behind the DHEA success, researchers from the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR)  in New York City who pioneered the use of this supplement believe it reduces the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs - abnormalities that would otherwise lead to an inability of the egg to be fertilized, or result in a miscarriage.  Experts say that occasionally these miscarriages happen so early on, a woman might not even know she is getting pregnant, instead believing that she is infertile.

Indeed, by helping the body to actually create "healthier" eggs,  not only does the rate of fertilization go up, but the rate of miscarriage goes down - which could be great news for women who have lost one or more pregnancies.

In one study published recently in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, doctors found the rate of spontaneous miscarriage was exceptionally low in women who were using  DHEA supplements.

According to published reports, Norbert Gleicher, MD, medical director of CHR and a lead author of a breakthrough study on DHEA says “This is the first direct evidence that DHEA beneficially affects egg and embryo quality by reducing chromosomal abnormalities.” He continues to say that  ”It appears likely, however, that this is not the only way by which DHEA exerts its positive effects on older ovaries. Indeed, DHEA may only be a forerunner for a whole new family of infertility drugs, which, ultimately, still may allow older women to conceive through well-designed infertility treatments.”

David H. Barad, MD, MS, second lead authors and Clinical Director of CHR’s IVF Program, adds: “Our finding may have implications far beyond infertility because it suggests that beneficial effects of DHEA supplementation on embryos' chromosomal health could also be extended to normally fertile older women.” DHEA supplementation, like taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, could become routine in prenatal care.


Can DHEA Help You?
To date,  the number of studies conducted on DHEA is still relatively small, and involve a small number of women. Moreover, virtually all of these studies have involved women undergoing IVF treatments - which in and of itself  allows for a very controlled conception environment.

And while so far this research has been favorable,  what we don't know yet is if  DHEA will have the same positive effect - or any effect - on women trying to get pregnant on their own. Remember, the women undergoing IVF are already identified as having fertility problems - which means the DHEA may be correcting a deficiency that led to their inability to conceive.  Whether or not it would have the same or equal power in women who do not have this deficiency - or a different deficiency  -  is yet to be discovered.

So, should you take DHEA to help you get pregnant? Right now the best advice is to talk to your doctor.   You might be a candidate for this treatment if you have already had one or more miscarriage, or if getting pregnant seems to be taking longer than it should. 

If you do decide to give DHEA a try, make certain to purchase it from a reputable compounding pharmacy who makes the supplement from scratch. This will help insure potency.  You also want to be sure to purchase "pharmaceutical grade" DHEA for the best results. The amount used in many of the studies was 25 mg three times a day - but again, talk to your doctor to decide on the right dosage for you.

While it's not likely that a DHEA supplement will harm you, it can have some nasty side effects including oily skin and hair and an increase in acne. On the plus side, however, many women report a dramatic upswing in their sex drive - so that might be worth a pimple or two!

For more information on DHEA as well as  other all natural supplements that increase fertility visit GreenFertility.com - or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.The authors and owners of this blog may or may not directly or indirectly benefit from the products, books , or other sources mentioned in the is blog.

Older Moms, Fertility Drugs & The Risk of Breast Cancer: The Legacy of Elizabeth Edwards & The New Green Fertility Movement

 No one knows why a woman gets breast cancer; but research shows late motherhood and the use of fertility drugs could increase the risks.  Here's what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

It was back in November of 2004, when,  as a  nation still  giddy with excitement over a presidential election, we learned  Elizabeth Edwards,  wife of a  then- leading VP candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer, a particularly severe form of the disease.

Now, some six years later, we mourn her death, passing as she did last week at age 61,  from complications arising from  that original breast cancer which spread first to her bones and ultimately her liver.  

While no one knows why any woman gets breast cancer, there are some factors that increase the risk. Among them is bearing children later in life, with some research suggesting the use of fertility drugs might play a role.  

As such it begs the question,  was  Edwards – who became pregnant at age 48 and age 50 and has acknowledged  the use of fertility medications  -  a victim of the very  technology that is  supposed to create life, and not end it?

"In light of what we now know about links between cancer and late-age pregnancy, and more recently, about hormone use and cancer, it's a valid question. Unfortunately, it's one that is, at best, difficult to answer," says Julia Smith, MD, director of the NYU Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Program and the director of the Lynne Cohen Cancer Screening and Prevention Clinic for High Risk Women at Bellevue Hospital Center, and Breast Cancer Preventive Care Program at the NYU Clinical Cancer Center.

What we know thus far:  The  risk of  breast cancer naturally  increase as a woman ages. Smith says it also rises in  relation to the age at which a woman  has her first child and her last child,  beginning at age 30.  “The older a woman is when she has her first baby and her last baby, the greater her risk of breast cancer in the future," says Smith.

According to news reports, Edwards was in her early 30s when her first two children were born -- a son, Wade, who passed away in an accident in 1996, and her daughter, Catherine, now 28. Edwards was approximately 48 when she became pregnant with her second daughter, Emma Claire, and about 50 when she conceived her son Jack.

While no one is certain exactly how Elizabeth Edwards conceived at such an advanced age,  it has been reported  her pregnancies were aided by the use of fertility drugs – hormone-based  medications  used to create multiple eggs and encourage the growth of a thick uterine lining necessary to sustain a pregnancy.   And therein lies a second cause for cancer-risk concern.

Indeed, a growing number of doctors now worry that  when you combine the intense estrogen overload associated with some fertility drugs, with the high estrogen levels that occur during pregnancy – all an age when a woman should naturally experience a decrease in these hormones -  another breast cancer red flag appears.

“Right now we just don’t know  if being hit with a blast of estrogen after years of decreasing levels increases the risk of breast cancer or if fertility drugs further fuel that risk. Women deserve to know, but we just don't have the answer yet, “ says Smith.

Some of what we do know, however, came to light via the massive Women’s Health Initiative study  published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002. Here research on some 16,000 women taught us that  a combination regimen of estrogen and progesterone commonly used to treat peri menopausal and menopausal symptoms increases the risk of breast cancer in some women.

 But does that risk profile apply to women roughly in this same age group  taking similar hormones not to avoid hot flashes, but instead to have a baby?

“ We don't know one way or the other if there is an increased risk of breast cancer associated with taking fertility drugs thus far, the data has been conflicting. But it's certainly a question that needs to be addressed further, and certainly needs to be answered,” said Margareta Pisarska, MD, co-director of the Fertility Program at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles appears to agree. “

Could GREEN FERTILITY Be The Answer?

Currently  there is no definitive conclusion as to whether or not fertility drugs will increase  a woman’s risk of breast cancer later in life.  And while it may be some time before we know for certain,  many fertility experts are not waiting around to find out.

Instead, they are moving forward with a rapidly growing movement known as “Green Fertility “ -   a way of increasing a woman’s chances of conception, even women over 40, using all natural therapies. Alone or in combination with a brand new type of  drug-free GREEN IVF,  it could just be the safe, sane  and possibly healthier alternative for the millions of women struggling with fertility issues.   

Included  in the green fertility treatment regimen are foods which focus on nutrients proven in studies to affect egg production and release in women and healthy sperm production in men;   vitamin and nutrient therapy designed to balance hormones linked to common fertility problems;  and specific types of exercise – like yoga - and  a moderate weight maintenance program  - all  which studies have shown can boost fertility naturally.

Moreover, many “green” fertility doctors now also recommend a series of Chinese herbs, as well as acupuncture treatments to gently and safely encourage conception.

"Acupuncture works to restore the flow of Qi -- your essence, your body energy -- so with regards to infertility, treatment has a calming, restorative effect that increases a sense of well- being and ultimately helps the body to accept the creation of life," says acupuncturist Ifeoma Okoronkwo, MD, a professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

While taking the “Green” approach to getting pregnant can help the tens of thousands of couples diagnosed with “unexplained infertility”   doctors say there are some conception problems – like blocked fallopian tubes or uterine scar tissue in women  - for which the “green” treatments  are  simply not enough on their own to help.  When this is the case,  the answer may lie in the new “GREEN IVF “ -  a natural cycle fertility treatment that works without the need for fertility medications.

Indeed, instead of bombarding her body with fertility drugs and hormones to increase egg production and release, the new Green IVF relies on vitamins, nutrients, diet and exercise to encourage fertility and then uses traditional IVF techniques to harvest a single, naturally produced egg. The remainder of the IVF treatment remains the same.

“ According to John Zhang,M.D., Ph.D., director of the New Hope Fertility Clinic in New York City, the new natural cycle IVF is “ Ideal for women who choose to live a drug-free and chemical-free lifestyle, or for those women who, because of age or fertility problems, are less likely to produce multiple eggs, even if heavy IVF drugs are administered.”

But does it work?  A number of studies show that it does!  In research published recently in the journal Fertility  and Sterility, doctors from Rome, Italy found that in women who previously did not respond well to IVF medications, were able to have a healthy  “green fertility” implantation at a rate three times that of women who took traditional fertility medications.

The bottom line: Whether you have a family history of breast cancer,  or  simply want to avoid the use of fertility medications and encourage a faster, healthier pregnancy naturally, then the Green Fertility movement may be your answer.

To learn more about Green Fertility including the new GREEN IVF visit www.GreenFertility.com .

Colette Bouchez is the co- author of the new book : Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies” ( Ivy League Press, NY, 2010).

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

How To Get Pregnant: Try Dancing With The Stars!

Looking to get pregnant faster? Try dancing with the stars! Discover how one of the sexiest dances on this hit show can increase your fertility - plus more natural ways to get pregnant faster!

By Colette Bouchez

Trying to conceive ...and looking for ways to boost your fertility naturally? Or maybe you're hoping to increase the success of next IVF or insemination procedure - without the use of fertility drugs.

Although paying strict attention to diet and nutrition and getting the proper amount of exercise are three important ways to boost fertility naturally, some interesting new studies have shown there are also a few newer ways to give your conception odds a boost - and have some fun at the same time!

To get you going in the right direction, here's 3 new and unusual ways that studies show can increase your fertility and help you get pregnant faster!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 1: Put On Your Dancing Shoes

As anyone who who has ever spent an evening watching Dancing With The Stars can tell you, tripping the light fantastic on the ballroom floor is a wonderful and fun activity. But did you know it’s also a potent stress reliever that can help you get pregnant? It’s true!

Studies in both Germany and at the University of New England found that dancing lowers levels of stress hormones that would otherwise interfere with conception. Among the most stress relieving of all dances is the sexy tango which studies show can dramatically lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that in high concentrations has been shown to interfere with conception.

Because dancing with a partner to music you both love appears to have the most positive effects on stress reduction, if you can get your hubby to join you on the dance floor, that’s a fertility plus! But if not, you can also gain benefits by simply plugging in your Ipod to the tunes you love and dance to your own beat. Studies show there are many positive stress reducing effects from dancing alone.

In fact, experts say it evokes a state of “mindful meditation” similar to doing yoga.
Moreover, studies have also shown that listening to music can actually alter your brain waves and change the way your entire body chemistry works – particularly in the area of brain chemistry where many fertility “signals” originate. So whenever you can, take a “music break” - relax, dance a bit if you can, or if not simply kick back and the let music take you away!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 2: Practice Yoga

For centuries Chinese Medicine doctors have been “prescribing” activities like yoga and medication to increase fertility. Now, modern western science has caught the wave, with new studies showing these ancient Chinese techniques may be the ticket to pregnancy success.

And further, that reducing stress levels via such activities as yoga and meditation not only reduces this enzyme but in the process increases fertility!

In a major study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility researchers from the US Nataional Institutes of Health and the UK’s University of Oxford report that women who have a higher level of an enzyme marker for stress have a more difficult time getting pregnant.

And it doesn’t take much effort to see a positive result! Simple yoga positions practiced for just 20 minutes 3 to 5 times weekly may be enough to increase fertility in just several weeks time!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 3:  Spend Time In the Sun!

The link to conception is Vitamin D!Because the body utilizes sunlight to manufacture vitamin D, spending time in the sun can be a natural fertility booster! indeed,studies show that couples who are deficient in vitamin D can suffer from several related forms of infertility. Wit Vitamin D women can have a problem ovulating, while men may not manufacture enough testoserone - the hormone necessary for sperm production and maturation.

Need more evidence that sunlight can help you get pregnant? Epidemiologic data shows that in countries where the latitude is the highest - meaning that sun exposure varies dramatically during the year - conception rates were consistently higher in late summer, which, not coincidentally, followed a season in the sun! Birth rates are also the highest in spring - which means conception occured in the fall, again, after a summer in the sun!

For a whole lot more fast and easy ways to increase your fertility - including a vitamin, herb and nutrient program successfully tested on thousands of couples - pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies. Or visit GreenFertility.com - your source for a natural pregnancy and a healthy baby!    

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and producers of this blog may or may not financially benefit from products or services which appear on this blog.