There are many genetic reasons for male infertility, and many are still being discovered.

Bisphenol or BPA is a synthetic estrogen that is used to harden polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resin, both of these materials are commonly found in sports bottles. In 2007 it was discovered that an estimated six billion pounds of this product were sold worldwide. So why is BPA so bad? According to the Environmental Working Group:

"In laboratory tests, trace BPA exposure has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system and trigger a wide variety of disorders, including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy".

It's because of this alarming finding that distributors must offer a wide variety of "BPA Free" products. Despite lab findings, BPA products are still widely used because BPA breaks down "readily" according to the Environmental Working Group and can be almost completely cleaned from products when heated or washed with detergent. It's because of this that the Food and Drug Administration approved BPA products. According to FDA "an adequate amount of safety exists for BPA. at current levels of exposure from food contact uses, for infants and adults".

The contradiction between the FDA and many opposing scientific analysts has made BPA products extremely controversial. Many prefer to err on the side of caution by avoiding BPA products. It's the responsibility of distributors and retailers to educate customers about product material so they can make informed decisions on using them. That's why companies must displays BPA product information labeled BPA or BPA Free. Look for these products whenever shopping for sports bottles that may contain polycarbonate materials.

The debate continues on the safety of BPA products and whether or not the amount of BPA found in these products is hazardous enough for reasonable concern. The best way to protect yourself against products made with potentially hazardous material is to view multiple sources and make an informed decision.

The Down syndrome is also known as trisomy 21 or Down's syndrome. A patient affected by Down syndrome suffers from acute abnormalities in body functioning which arises from the person's abnormal body structure. The root cause of Down syndrome is the 21st chromosome (DNA). This dysfunction can occur due to the presence of just a portion of the chromosome or the entire genetic material.

The Down syndrome symptoms were first documented in detail by the English physician, John Langdon Down, way back in 1866. Hence, it is in his name that the ailment is named. The chromosomal abnormalities insofar as its shape or number is concerned were clearly identified in the 1950s following the discovery of the special karyotype methods. It was in 1959 that the cause of Down syndrome was traced to the presence of the extra DNA. But it was only in the 21st century that the chromosome was labeled and the condition termed as trisomy 21. Thus we see that the medical detectives and researchers were unable to pin down the exact cause of Down syndrome till the 20th century.

The Down syndrome was found to affect people in all the races. What is more, the Down syndrome was found to attack the women in their advanced years. Another significant aspect of Down syndrome that attracted the attention of the researchers was the rarity of its recurrence.
Till the middle part of the last century, the common medical perception on Down syndrome was that it takes place due to several aspects that were basically inherited. Even then the intensive searches for these factors were eluding results. The fact that the Down syndrome was particularly noticed among the mothers after they reach an advanced stage led a school of medical thought to trace the cause of the dysfunction to some shock(s) undergone by the expecting mother.

The commonly reported symptoms of Down syndrome are a facial layout that remains as it was during that person's birth, and total impairment in the development of that person's physical appearance.

Besides, the Down syndrome affected child fails to have the learning capability, and have retardation besides below par cognitive aptitude. His/her social and emotional abilities are largely dependent on the mental retardation of the child affected by Down syndrome. The child's mild IQ ranges from 50 to 70 while the moderate IQ ranges from 35 to 50. Those affected by Mosaic Down syndrome have IQ range that may go up by 10-30 points higher.

The Down syndrome kids can also develop serious health problems like thyroid dysfunctions, sleep apnea (obstructive), recurring ear infections, gastroesophageal (reflux) disease, and heart defects that are congenital in nature.

Mentionably, there are instances of people possessing the usual sets of DNA also suffering from the Down syndrome symptoms. The signs are enlarged tongue, speech impairment, shorter limbs, almond (shaped) eyes, and a single crease across one or both palms (simian crease). Depending on the child's disability in the cognitive sphere.

It is of necessity that kids affected with Down syndrome are provided immediate medical attention. Despite the fact that many Down syndrome dysfunctions stays on for life, yet the patient can be taught to adjust with the prevailing physical conditions. For this, the parents or guardians of any child must always be attentive about any such abnormalities in their children. If any such signs are noticed, the physician must be immediately consulted, and the required medical screenings carried out. The initial tests pertain to the thyroid among others. The growing child can be provided vocational training The foremost thing to remember that Down syndrome patients require a homely environment to recuperate whatever he/she can.

The most productive years in woman's life to conceive are those between 18 and 28. Even into the mid-thirties, while fertility after 40 is possible the ability to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term. During your younger years your hormones that ensure ovulation, heighten conception, and ensure a healthy pregnancy are generally made easily and in larger quantities.

One of the greatest challenge facing women over 40 is developing quality eggs. The decrease in the quality of eggs is normal for this age. The number of couples in their 30s and 40s trying to become pregnant is on the up rise. It is more common to delay beginning a family for a number of reasons such as, second relationships, career and educational requirements, desire for financial stability, and waiting for the right relationship.

Even so it is crucial to understand that fertility after 40 declines in women. This is a normal part of the aging process. As women get older, the probability of conceiving is lower, the probability of having a miscarriage is greater and there is a raised risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the baby. In the common population, the odds of getting pregnant if you're over 40 is approximated to be merely 5% compared to approximately 20% for those under 40.

You should not stop trying to conceive when you've reached this point in your life, there are approximately 14 million couples trying to get pregnant worldwide at 5% of that number 700,000 thousand will conceive. That's pretty good odds. So is fertility after 40 is possible. Why not get started today?

Amniocentesis. The word alone is nearly as daunting to a pregnant woman as the test. If your multiple marker screening determines that your baby is at higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities, your doctor will offer you the option of performing amniocentesis. So what should you do from here?

Try not to panic. The stress of hearing that there may be a problem with your pregnancy can be overwhelming. However, an abnormal multiple marker screening only indicates that the levels of alphafetoprotein (AFP), human chrionic gonadotropin (HCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3) in your blood are not in what is considered to be the "normal" range for this stage in your pregnancy. Many women who receive abnormal results from the multiple marker screening, and even from an amniocentesis, go on to have healthy pregnancies.

Educate yourself. The levels of AFP, HCG, and uE3 in your blood during pregnancy can indicate an increased risk for the chromosomal disorders Down syndrome and Trisomy 18 and for neural tube defects like spinal bifida. Discuss your multiple marker screening results with your doctor and fully inform yourself on the disorders for which your baby is at risk. Genetic counseling can also be a valuable resource.

Decide what difference further test results would make. Armed with knowledge about each specific disorder, you can better assess your feelings on the pregnancy and determine how you want to proceed. If abnormal results from further testing would not deter you from continuing the pregnancy, then it probably would not be worth the risk incurred by an invasive test like amniocentesis. If the test results would significantly impact your decision to continue the pregnancy, then a test like amniocentesis may either ease your mind or provide more conclusive information with which to make decisions.

Determine which test to use. Once you have elected for further testing, discuss with your doctor which test would be best for you. Amniocentesis is the most common, but other tests like chorionic villus sampling may also be used.

Amniocentesis is a process by which fluid is extracted directly from the amniotic sac between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy. Amniocentesis allows the lab to test the fetal cells directly for chromosomal abnormalities. Because the test needle punctures the amniotic sac, there is a risk of infection, amniotic fluid leakage, and even miscarriage. This risk, however, is still considered minimal.

Chorionic Villus Sampling is similar to amniocentesis, but it tests a sample of the placental tissue. The main benefit of CVS over amniocentesis is that it can be conducted up to four weeks earlier in the pregnancy. The results of CVS can be inconclusive or false if the mother's cells become mixed in the sample. Like amniocentesis, CVS carries risk of infection, amniotic fluid leakage, and miscarriage.

Other resources. The most important thing when you are faced with abnormal test results during pregnancy is to sufficiently educate yourself so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family. Information regarding chromosome disorders can be found at the National Down Syndrome Society website at www.ndss.org, the Trisomy 18 Foundation website at www.trisomy18.org, and the Spina Bifida Association website at sbaa.org.

I was sitting in a waiting room the other day, reading a magazine to pass the time and came across an article on freezing eggs. There is a company out there offering to freeze women's eggs for the purpose of future fertility. Their marketing tactic is to go after women who are aging and have yet to find the man of their dreams but know they want to become pregnant someday. They encourage these women to continue to wait and freeze their eggs and come back when they are ready to start a family.

I kinda sat on the fence about this for a few days. However, the more I think about it the more disturbed I become. They are basically telling women it is okay to wait to get pregnant later in life. "Freeze your eggs with us and later on down the road when you are ready to start a family, come back in. It is that simple." Okay, so that is not a real quote but that is the feeling I get from their marketing campaign.

It seems deceptive to me. The egg freezing company says, "[our] breakthrough egg freezing service offers women the opportunity to preserve their fertility and take control of their reproductive health." And that is a real quote. I get concerned about this because it makes a woman believe there will be no problem if she waits until her late 30s or 40s.

I wonder how many women know the dangers of freezing eggs. I was told when considering to freeze my blastocysts (fertilized eggs) after my IVF that only 50% will most likely be viable after thawing. Can you imagine freezing your eggs, being told your eggs will be waiting for you and then when you are ready to conceive you learn half of them are no longer "good" eggs? You may also learn a few more of them have chromosomal abnormalities. Your chances of conception are a lot less than you started off thinking they would be ten years earlier. I just hope this company is informing their clients of all of the possible complications in egg freezing.

If you have done a Google search for "freezing eggs" and landed on this page, then I am glad I can inform you on some of the other dangers in waiting to conceive later in life.

Most women know we were born with a certain amount of eggs in our ovaries. Once those eggs are gone, they are gone. We do not "grow" more. For this reason, many women solely focus on the amount of eggs they have and their quality. However, as you age other problems can arise that affect your fertility. Eggs are not the only concern:

1. Hormone levels change. Although some fertility drugs can help balance your hormone levels they are never a sure bet.

2. Menstrual cycle changes as we age. They can become irregular and shorter.

3. The lining of the endometrium becomes thinner and less hospitable for a fertilized egg.

4. Mucus/vaginal secretions can become less fluid and more hostile to sperm. During an IVF procedure you will obviously not have to worry about the sperm swimming up your fallopian tubes but this is worth mentioning for general fertility education purposes.

5. Diseases affecting the reproductive system can damage the reproductive organs as time passes, or worsen if not treated properly; including endometriosis, PCOS and STDs. Note: I know the company offering to freeze your eggs says this will help women preserve their fertility if they suffer from endometriosis; for instance. Women can save their eggs now and hopefully not have as much trouble conceiving later in life. However, many of us do not even realize we suffer from these diseases until we start our infertility battle. It would be nice for this company to examine you first and look for any diseases that may affect your fertility before they pull your eggs.

6. As women age, many gain weight due to health and lifestyle changes. We all know being overweight can make it more difficult to conceive.

7. We can't forget about the men. If women are waiting to conceive then most likely their mate will be older as well. Genetic defects in the sperm increase as men age; possibly leading to decreased fertility, increased chance of miscarriage and increased risk of some birth defects. Note: I know with egg freezing they will pick that "one" sperm to insert into that one egg. I guess you just cross your fingers that the man you have waited for so long to find still has one good sperm left. Chances are pretty good (I would assume) but it is certainly a point worth bringing up.

In certain cases I think this is a great idea. Such as if a woman is fighting cancer and going into treatment. She can freeze her eggs before the powerful cancer fighting drugs enter her system. So, I can certainly see the positive aspect of this option. However, I worry about the marketing aspect of telling women it is "okay to wait" when I truly feel it is not. I would like to see society change and start encouraging women AND men to consider creating their families earlier. Young parents need to be supported through college and companies need to support a family lifestyle as well. We need to make it easier for women to have a family and a successful career at the same time.

I guess you can say I feel this egg freezing marketing campaign is taking us in the opposite direction than I would like for our society to go.

Take care,

SGA is a rather broad term that covers every child that is considered "small for gestational age." This term is often also used interchangeably with LBW or low birth rate in fetuses. SGA is increasing in incidence both in developed and developing countries. For the former, there is now an 8.1% occurrence; for the latter, the range goes from 6 to 30%.

Many studies now show that SGA / LBW actually play a greater role in that child's development in his or her adult life. There are theories saying that SGA / LBW may lead to diabetes, obesity and may even affect the intelligence of the child. Researchers are now claiming that babies with low birth weight are thought to have an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes, and becoming obese in later life. The same study shows that there is a direct link between an increased birth weight and an increase in the baby's intelligence quotient or IQ. So, if that theory is to be believed, babies born with SGA / LBW would have lower IQs than those who are born of "appropriate" or more than normal weight.

There are many causes of SGA / LBW. These include: alcoholism, chromosomal abnormalities, damaged or reduced placental tissue due to diseases, drug addiction, infections brought about by viruses, malnutrition (in the mothers,) severe anemia, tobacco smoking, and even prolonged or multiple pregnancies. Usually, with the cases of SGA / LBW, the only available option is by inducing labor early, especially when it is seen as a risk to the health of the baby. This option poses many problems to both mother and baby. For one thing, inducing labor is very painful. Moreover, children born too early usually have very high mortality rate, and are susceptible to many childhood diseases.

A new option for babies with SGA / LBW is to introduce slowly human growth hormones. This hormone is an important component in the development of bones and muscles. It is usually prescribed to children and adults who lack natural growth hormones in their systems, among many things. It is important to note that human growth hormone treatments are very potent, and should never be done without the counsel of medical practitioners - and in this case, an obstetrician-gynecologist. Also, this treatment is only done if the baby in the womb is in danger of being miscarried at any stage of the pregnancy. Dosages are prescribed with regards to many variables like: the stage of the pregnancy, the weight of mother and baby, the present health / medical condition of the mother, etc. Taking larger dosages of human growth hormones or taking them longer than prescribed will not serve any beneficial purposes. In fact, it may even harm the baby.

Human growth hormone treatments can help establish the proper weight in the developing fetus. This can also help accelerate bone and muscle development, but medications are usually stopped as soon as the baby "gains" the proper weight. Medical practitioners are also advising for the early detection of SGA / LBW

As an expecting mother, please be sure to keep all doctor's appointments, take all prenatal vitamins and dietary supplements, and be absolutely certain to begin taking care of your child from the moment you find out you're pregnant. Prenatal care is essential for any expecting mother. Down Syndrome, as a primary concern for pregnant women over the age of 35, or for women genetically predisposed to give birth to a child with this condition, can sometimes be detected as early as the first trimester. Please see your doctor regularly and as soon as possible for an ultrasound.

Although there is not much that advanced medicine, as of yet, can do to prevent this troubling disease, there are ways a woman can prepare herself and her family to care for a child with Down Syndrome. This, of course, applies to many pregnancies and potential birth defects, such as Trisomy-18 and other chromosomal abnormalities that may occur. Taking care of yourself while you are pregnant is the most important thing you can do.

Any pregnancy is important, and many variables are certainly worth attending to during those crucial months before your child is born. Whether it has already been determined that yours is a high-risk pregnancy, or if you may possibly be a high-risk pregnancy, even if (as far as you know) you and your baby are in perfect health, medical attention is essential from the earliest possible point in your pregnancy.

One very important thing to do, in addition to all other prenatal care, is to have an ultra-screen done in your first trimester. An ultra-screen is a procedure that has been extensively studied. Screening is recommended for all pregnant patients, not just women over the age of 35. Of all Down Syndrome pregnancies, 91 percent can be detected by use of an ultra-screen in the first trimester. There is, however, a five percent chance of getting a false-positive result, therefore, if the first ultra screen is positive, reschedule another to be sure. If the screening detects a Trisomy-18 defect it is likely to be accurate. The false-positive rate on the ultra screen for Trisomy-18 is more like one percent. The ultra screen can detect, incredibly early, the chances of Trisomy-18 with up to 98 percent accuracy.

So, some of you eager expecting mothers are probably wondering, how exactly is the ultra-screen test performed? A combination ultrasound and blood test are keys to this procedure and the accuracy of its results. According to experts who routinely use the equipment, "the test begins with an ultrasound examination between 11w1d and 13w6d gestation." The CRL needs to be between 45 and 84 mm. CRL is measured for accurate pregnancy dating (i.e. the date of conception) and nuchal translucency (NT) is measured as well before the procedure can be performed. NT is a specific marker for chromosomal aneuploidy which can be detected by this procedure. At the time of the ultrasound exam, the doctors will collect a dried blood sample via fingerstick.

Along with the dried blood sample taken, the ultrasound data is entered onto the test requisition form and sent to laboratories for complete analysis. The blood sample is screened for free Beta HCG and Plasma Protein A(PAPP-A), a pregnancy-associated plasma protein. The risk for Down Syndrome in the fetus as well as the risk for Trisomy-18 are calculated based on the patent's age, the nuchal translucency, as well as the freebeta and PAPP-A. Despite the medical jargon that is sometimes difficult to get around, get the ultra-screen in your first trimester, and ask your doctor specific questions no matter how much you don't understand. The number one objective is to understand as much as you possibly can when it comes to your unborn child.

To me, 'older women' are 80.

Sperm Motility is the ability of the sperm to move and swim towards the egg. If your sperm have poor or low motility your sperm will not be able to reach the egg.

There are three broad categories in which sperm motility is classified into - non-motile, progressively motile or non-progressively motile. Non-motile is sperm that is dead and/or is not moving, progressively motile is sperm that is moving fine and non-progressively motile is sperm that is moving in circles or without direction towards the egg.

Increasing how motile your sperm is dramatically increases the odds that your partner's egg will be fertilized which is why progressively motile sperm is extremely important to conception. Here are some proven tips to increase how motile your sperm are:

Sperm Motility Tip #1 - Stop The Alcohol

Besides being a depressant, alcohol will decrease both sperm count and quality. When you are trying to conceive make sure you stop drinking completely - this includes wine, beer, hard liquor and more.

Sperm Motility Tip #2 - Make Sure You're Not Over Exercising

Exercise is excellent for the general health and well being of the body, but make sure you're not over doing it. Too much exercise may lower your sperm count and temporarily reduce testosterone production. Only you can tell if you are exercising too much and pushing yourself too much. You should feel tired but energized.

Sperm Motility Tip #3 -Stop the Caffeine

Caffeine comes in many forms but people take it most commonly as coffee or tea. Replace your daily cup with herbal alternatives now. After your body detoxifies you will feel so much better without that sludge. Besides actually making your system more stressed, caffeine may impair sperm production, cause chromosomal abnormalities in your sperm, and effect your sperm motility.

Sperm Motility Tip #4 - Increase Your Vitamin C

A lack of Vitamin C can lead to sperm clumping together, so make sure you have a diet that is rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is water soluble which means if you have an excess of Vitamin C in your body you can easily pass it out through urine or other bodily functions. Fruits rich in Vitamin C include citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes. You can squeeze a wedge of lemon or lime into water and drink it.

Sperm Motility Tip #5 - Drink Lots of Water

Water is extremely important to sperm being motile. As a general rule of thumb to make sure you are drinking enough water make sure your urine is always clear. Yellow means you are dehydrated and the darker your urine is, the more water you need to drink.