Two Genes May Raise Odds for Fraternal Twin Pregnancies

Although it’s long been known that fraternal twins run in families, researchers say they’ve just pinpointed two genes that seem to be associated with having such twins.

Fraternal twins occur when two separate eggs are fertilized with two separate sperm, creating two genetically unique children in the same pregnancy.

One gene variant — called FSHB — increased the odds of having twins by 18 percent, according to the study. FSHB is associated with higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which increases the likelihood that a woman’s ovaries will release multiple eggs at the same time. And, multiple eggs boost the odds that more than one egg will get fertilized at the same time, the researchers explained.

The second genetic variant — SMAD3 — upped the odds of fraternal twins by 9 percent, the study found. SMAD3 likely plays a role in how the ovaries respond to FSH, the researchers said.

Women with both variants were 29 percent more likely to have twins, the study showed.

The study was published April 28 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

“There’s an enormous interest in twins, and in why some women have twins while others don’t,” study author Dorret Boomsma, said in a journal news release. She’s a biological psychologist at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

“The question is very simple, and our research shows for the first time that we can identify genetic variants that contribute to this likelihood,” Boomsma added.

The findings stem from genetic analyses of more than 5,500 women from Europe, the United States and Australia who conceived fraternal twins with and without fertility treatment. The study also included genetic information on more than 300,000 women who didn’t have twins.

According to the researchers, the results are important for infertility research. FSH is injected to stimulate the ovaries and obtain eggs for in-vitro fertilization, but some women’s ovaries over-respond to the hormone, the study authors explained.

The researchers said they plan to develop a genetic test to identify women at risk for this problem.

New surrogacy Bill bars married couples with kids, NRIs, gays, live-ins, foreigners

The government on Wednesday approved a bill that bans commercial surrogacy, and bars single people, married couples who have biological/ adopted children, live-in partners and homosexuals from opting for surrogacy.

THE GOVERNMENT on Wednesday approved a Bill that bans commercial surrogacy, and bars married couples who have biological or adopted children, single people, live-in partners and homosexuals from opting for surrogacy.

The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, cleared by the Cabinet, only allows “altruistic surrogacy” for childless couples who have been married for at least five years. Then too, the surrogate mother should be a “close relative” of the couple, should be married and have borne a child of her own.

Briefing the press after the Cabinet meeting, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said foreigners, NRIs and PIOs who hold Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards have also been barred from opting for surrogacy as “divorces are very common in foreign countries”.

Swaraj headed the Group of Ministers (GoM) who finalised the Bill in its current form, dealing solely with surrogacy — in contrast to another Bill, which the department of health research has been working on for years now, seeking to regulate all aspects of assisted reproductive practices. There are enough regulations on IVF, Swaraj said.

New surrogacy Bill bars single parents, homosexuals, live-in couples, foreigners married woman who has at least one child of her own can be a surrogate mother only once in her lifetime. Childless or unmarried women are not allowed to be surrogate mothers.

Without taking any names, Swaraj said it was “unfortunate” that couples, who already have a son and a daughter of their own, opt for surrogacy “just because it is fashionable”.

Replying to a question, she said: “We do not recognise homosexual or live-in relationships, that is why they are not allowed to commission babies through surrogacy. It is against our ethos.”

The Bill, which borrows heavily from UK’s altruistic surrogacy Bill, has changed the British provision of allowing only blood relatives to “close relatives”, a term that will be further elaborated in the rules.

“In commercial surrogacy, one would just pay the surrogate mother and ensure that the mother and baby never come in touch. But in this case it is an open thing, there are no ethical issues. The child would know who the biological mother is because it is a close relative,” said Swaraj. In the absence of close relatives, the couple should opt for adoption, she said.

“The reason we have not allowed a couple with a biological or adopted child to commission another baby through surrogacy is because there is bound to be discrimination, if not at the time of bringing up the child, then certainly when the question of property arises,” Swaraj said.

The Bill requires all surrogacy clinics to be registered. Clinics can charge for the services rendered in the course of surrogacy, but the surrogate mother cannot be paid. National and state surrogacy boards will be the regulating authorities.

Commercial surrogacy, abandoning the surrogate child, exploitation of surrogate mother, selling/ import of human embryo have all been deemed as violations that are punishable by a jail term of at least 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. Clinics have to maintain records of surrogacy for 25 years. The rights of the surrogate child will be the same as that of a biological child.

Meanwhile, Swaraj’s dismissal of homosexuality, though in line with the Supreme Court’s order upholding Section 377 criminalising gay sex, is at odds with the opinion of her cabinet colleague Arun Jaitley. “When you have millions of people involved in this (gay sex), you can’t nudge them off… Jurisprudence world over is evolving, I think the judgment was not correct and, probably at some stage, they may have to reconsider,” Jaitley had said earlier.

Soy may prevent diabetes, heart disease for women with PCOS

According to a study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, consuming soy may be beneficial to improve metabolic and cardiovascular health in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work. Woman with PCOS experience irregular periods, high levels of "male hormones" in the body, and polycystic ovaries that become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs that surround the eggs.

PCOS is the leading cause - responsible for 70 percent - of femaleinfertility issues and increases a woman's risk of serious health conditions such as insulin resistance, which elevates the risk oftype 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

PCOS is also associated with metabolic syndrome that contributes to both diabetes and heart disease.

Around 5-10 percent of women of childbearing age are affected by PCOS, with less than 50 percent of women diagnosed. Studies have shown that around 40 percent of patients with diabetes and glucose intolerance between the ages of 20-50 have PCOS. In the United States, PCOS affects an estimated 5-6 million women.

Could soy isoflavones protect against certain conditions?

The study - conducted by the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, and Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences in Iran - examined how a diet containing soy isoflavones could benefit women with PCOS.

Soy isoflavones are naturally occurring, plant-based estrogens found in the soybean plant. They are often found in foods such as soymilk, as well as supplements.

There is growing interest in using soy isoflavones in diseases related to metabolic syndrome. Surveys and nutritional intervention studies have suggested that dietary isoflavones have protective effects against menopausal symptoms, coronary heart disease, cancer, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, and various forms of chronic renal disease.

The trial, led by Mehri Jamilian and Zatollah Asemi, Ph.D., was performed on 70 women diagnosed with PCOS aged between 18-40 years. The women were referred to the Kosar Clinic in Arak, Iran, between December 2015 and February 2016.

Participants were allocated into two groups taking either 50 milligrams of soy isoflavones or placebo every day for 12 weeks. The amount of soy is equivalent to the amount in 500 milliliters of soymilk.

Metabolic, endocrine, inflammation, and oxidative stress biomarkers were observed in blood samples at the beginning of the study and after the 12-week intervention. The women were instructed to maintain current levels of exercise and to avoid taking other nutritional supplements for the duration of the research.

Soy decreased insulin resistance risk, harmful cholesterol levels

Compared with the placebo group, soy isoflavone administration significantly decreased circulating levels of insulin and other biological markers associated with insulin resistance - a condition whereby the body's tissues are resistant to the effects of insulin, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Supplementation with soy isoflavones also resulted in significant reductions in testosterone, harmful cholesterol known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides - or fats in the blood - than their counterparts who received the placebo.

"Our research found that women who have PCOS may benefit from incorporating soy isoflavones in their diets," says Asemi, of Kashan University of Medical Sciences.

Do-it-yourself ‪sperm‬-counting centrifuge gets FDA approval

It’s not just women who are monitoring their ‪reproductive‬ systems using internet-connected gadgets — now men can get in on the fun too! Say hello to Trak, a portable centrifuge that offers an easy way to test sperm count at home. The company behind Trak, Sandstone Diagnostics, unveiled the product years ago, but last month announced FDA approval, with Trak now set to go on sale in October this year for $159.99.

Trak’s system is pretty straightforward. Users just fill a disposable propellor-shaped cartridge with their semen, and place it in the centrifuge. This spins the sample, separating out the sperm cells (the densest part of semen) from the rest of the fluid. Users then get a visual estimation of their sperm count, and enter the information into a companion app that helps track lifestyle factors affect fertility. (To get an idea of the sort of advice Trak is giving out to users. Basically: eat healthy and avoid long trips to the sauna.)

The company behind Trak says it’s redressing an imbalance in public perceptions of infertility. Although roughly 1 in 8 couples worldwide are thought to have difficulties conceiving, infertility is commonly seen as a woman’s problem. This is despite the fact that studies have shown that roughly 40 percent of infertility cases are due to a combination of male and female problems.

Sandstone says its system gives couples “the ability to conveniently measure‪‎semenquality‬ at home” without having to bother with a doctor’s appointment, and is as reliable as laboratory tests. “This FDA clearance represents a monumental milestone,” said Sandstone CEO Greg Sommer in a press release. “Male infertility is a dramatically under-appreciated condition affecting millions of couples every year.” Interested users can reserve the Trak system at Sandstone’s website.

Beware of clinics that gain their reputation on slander

Nowadays using of assisted reproductive technologies has become so popular and widespread around the world that infertility clinics literally grow like a house on fire. Egg donation, surrogacy, IVF and ICSI programs solve the infertility problem of any genesis. Sometimes infertility couples are ready to pay any money in order to see two cherished bars.

Demand generates supply. The quantity of infertility married couples is constantly growing around the world and reaches nowadays 20-25%. Stimulation of the growth of follicles and spermatogenesis, laparoscopic surgery on the reproductive system organs often do not result in pregnancy and childbirth. But the use of modern medical reproductive technologies helps achieve good results in the treatment of male and female infertility, and even unexplained infertility.

The exact number of reproduction clinics worldwide is impossible to calculate. No country has the official statistics on the number of cycles performed and their results. But the clinic you are applying to can provide you with such statistics. In addition to statistics, clinics can often offer not only its services, but negative information regarding other medical centers competitors.

Competition in the market of supporting reproductive medicine today is very big and tough. And not every medical center can meet the standards, have at the same high rates of success and the patients queue. These clinics sometimes choose an easier path that does not require its own investments in the form of power, professionalism and finance. Looking good through the unfounded desecration of reputation of the clinic competitor. Often it is this option that is selected by centers of reproduction that are not ready to independently create their own positive reputation and achieve high success rates of programs.

It is worth to wonder if this or that clinic of reproductive medicine has been seen in "bad-mouthing" of his medical colleagues. Truly successful centers are working on their own positive promotion, rather than negative reviews about a competitor. Reputation of decent clinics is known for the high effectiveness of provided procedures, the proposed guarantee, and the positive feedback of real patients.

In practice, it has long been proven that the medical institutions that work fairly and have a good reputation do not need to desecrate their competitors. Rather than spreading slander successful centers are improving their own achievements, improve service, expand the range of services and thus increase the number of their patients.

Therefore, if you are applying to the center of reproduction and hear unflattering reviews of the clinic - competitor, just know - this is the clinic that you need. If the medical center itself speaks poorly about the clinic, it means that it is a strong competitor, interfering with others by its successful work.

Building your medical (professional) reputation on such background is not the best decision for clinics that want to attract more patients. After all, the truth will still prevail. Successful clinics know that it would be a mistake to build their reputation by the unfounded desecration of their competitors. Fair medical institutions on the contrary cooperate with each other, and improve their image with their own achievements.

New blood test identifies women at risk of preterm delivery as early as 17 weeks of pregnancy

An international team of researchers assembled by David Olson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, has developed a blood test to identify pregnant women at risk of delivering babies prematurely—before the usual 40 weeks of gestation. The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

Premature birth remains the main cause of child-related mortality in the developed world. The technique was created by the Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team (PreHOT) members Jan Heng (Harvard Medical School), Stephen Lye, PhD (University of Toronto), Suzanne Tough, PhD (University of Calgary), and David Olson, PhD (University of Alberta).

The team, consisting of clinicians, scientists and biostatisticians, looked at women who participated in the All Our Babies (AOB) study —a community-based pregnancy study in Calgary. The researchers collected blood from pregnant women at 17 weeks and at 27 weeks. They looked at gene expression, profiling and bioinformatics. When coupled with a patient's clinical history, they discovered they could predict whether or not a woman would deliver prematurely.

"This new test is important for several reasons," says Olson. "It has the ability to predict which women may go into preterm labour. About eight out of 10 women who present with symptoms will not deliver early and will deliver at normal term. This new test has high positive predictive power for women who will deliver early. It is also important because it will help in the development of new drugs and interventions to delay preterm labour and prolong pregnancy for the benefit of the baby."

"Identifying those women who are at risk of premature birth, early in their pregnancies will help clinicians personalize approaches to prevent preterm birth," adds co-author Suzanne Tough, a professor at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine. "Developing a reliable screening tool like a blood test could allow us to intervene early in a woman's pregnancy."

Preterm birth has been identified by the World Health Organization as the number one pregnancy and perinatal health problem in the world. Each year there are 15 million preterm births globally. Of those, one million babies will not survive. As a group, infants who are born preterm will also experience a higher incidence of health problems in their lives, including obesity, diabetes, behavioural problems and cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

The research used data from approximately 3,300 pregnant women in Calgary who were recruited beginning in 2008. The work was funded by Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions.

"Alberta has one of the highest preterm birth rates in Canada," says Pamela Valentine, AIHS CEO (Interim) and Transition CEO for Alberta Innovates. "Preventing premature birth is key to healthy moms and babies. We congratulate the Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team on making such a remarkable discovery. This type of collaborative research and innovation will put Alberta at the forefront of understanding premature births, which will benefit women not only in Alberta but around the world."

According to Olson, the test still needs refining before it can make its way to clinical use. With further studies already planned, he hopes that can be accomplished in the next few years. He also believes it's just the beginning of many important discoveries to come..

"There is a need for new diagnostics and this paper is a breakthrough in that area," says Olson. "It's opened up new areas of research that people here in Alberta and around the world are now starting to explore."

62-year-old Tasmanian woman is oldest Australian to give birth

At 62 years old, a woman from Tasmania made Australian record by being the oldest woman to give birth in the country. It is the first baby for the woman and her 78-year-old partner. She delivered by cesarean section on Monday at the Frances Perry House, a private hospital in Melbourne.

She broke the record previously held by a 60-year-old woman who gave birth in 2010. But the 62-year-old Tasmanian new mum did not break the record set by a 65-year-old German grandmother who gave birth in May 2015 to quadruplets.

The elderly Tasmanian couple conceived through IVF overseas by using a donor embryo. The newborn was premature at 34 weeks but is doing well.

The mother will remain in hospital until they are well enough to return to Tasmania.

The record of giving birth to a healthy baby in her senior years is held by a 72-year-old Indian woman who could even breastfeed her newborn.