August 11, 2010
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 2:58 am
After a miscarriage many women need a break to recover from the trauma before they start to try for a new baby.
However, while it may seem wise to wait, waiting for an extended period of time to get pregnant again can actually increase the risk of having an additionally complicated pregnancy the next time around.
A new British study outlines that women that get pregnant within six months of having a miscarriage have a better chance of their second pregnancy progressing in a healthy fashion with a low risk of a second miscarriage.
The NHS advises women to wait for three months before they once again attempt to get pregnant while the World Health Organization on the other hand recommends that a woman wait for six months.
However, researchers now believe that waiting could be harmful, especially for women that are over the age of 35, who are even more likely to have troubles getting pregnant and an equally high risk of birth defects.
The research team was from Aberdeen University and took a look at the data from about 31,000 women that got pregnant after a miscarriage.
Those that conceived six months or less after the miscarriage were about 44% less likely to have a second miscarriage than those that waited between six to twelve months to try to get pregnant again.
Those that got pregnant within six months were also less likely to suffer from an ectopic pregnancy which usually results in a forced termination. In addition, they were ten percent less likely to give birth to a premature baby or require a Caesarean.
November 16, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 5:49 am
The charity Sands reports that about 500 babies die each year after birth or are stillbirths in Scotland, but that many of these deaths could have been prevented if care were better in neonatal units or if they were not quite as stretched.
Sands are asking the Scottish Parliament to provide additional funds for neonatal research funding and better care in neonatal units including full staffing. According to the charity, the UK needs to recognize that death in the neonatal wards is a large health issue that needs serious attention.
In Scotland last year there were 325 stillborn babies; which is ten times more than the cot death rate, and according to Sands the number has stayed steady for the last thirty years without improvement.
Moreover, an additional 168 babies died in their first month of life after birth making Scotland home of one of the highest infant death rates across Europe. In order to combat the problem Sands claims that the Scottish government needs to work on a national strategy.
Chief executive of Sands, Neal Long, said that the infant deaths are a tragedy of national proportions and that the deaths of infants have been ignored for too long by the Scottish government.
He continued to say that there is enough concrete evidence that shows with a little more research and better neonatal services many of the deaths could have been prevented.
Long also commented that Scotland improve the situation around if Parliament and care makers had better communication about decision making and if the services were better organized.
November 5, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 6:43 am
Lesbian couples that want to seek fertility treatment in Scotland will soon be able to on the NHS.
After the government was involved in legal action with a lesbian couple, they decided to set up an advisory group, which is expected by the beginning of next year, to recommend that lesbians should have equal access to fertility services from NHS.
Julia McMullan and her partner Caroline Harris fought against the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chapter, at the beginning of this year for the right to receive free fertility treatment like any other couple.
Although the trust argued that their case was not the true definition of an infertile couple, it backed down from its stance after the couple threatened to sue on the terms of discrimination.
Currently the NHS Lothian provides IVF via a donor and donor insemination to lesbian couples in a ‘case by case’ basis.
A spokeswoman for the NHS stated that at the moment NHS guidelines do not exclude same sex couples, and that there are some NHS boards throughout the region that do allow same sex couples to seek infertility services.
A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church has already attacked the recommendation, stating that the money is being spent frivolously, when people with terrible illnesses cannot get the treatment that they require.
November 2, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 7:42 am
One of the top fertility clinics in Britain suffered a health scare Sunday night after it was discovered that unsafe and unscreened donor sperm was used to produce test tube babies.
The sperm was found to have a genetic abnormality in it that would raise the risk of having a child with health problems or a miscarriage.
The health scare occurred at the Harley Street London Women’s Clinic, which failed to follow fertility guidelines that all sperm be screened before it is used.
As a result of the mistake, which occurred earlier in 2009, at least one couple is thought to have had a miscarriage.
The patient anonymously stated to the press that the occurrence has left behind a ‘bitter taste.’
The couple was forced to destroy 22 embryos that were fertilized with the sperm after paying £15,000 initially for the treatment. The clinic paid the couple to have another round of the fertility treatment completed overseas.
It is estimated that up to 11 women may have had their embryos created with the unsafe sperm.
The HFEA confirmed that the LWC was the site of the blunder and stated that after the discovery the clinic was forced to cease its use of donor sperm until all stored samples were checked.
September 4, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 5:32 am
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