Fertility Diet Simplified
Here are 11 research-based strategies that could potentially boost fertility: 1. Avoid trans fats, the artery-clogging fats found in many commercially prepared products and fast foods. 2. Use more unsaturated vegetable oils, such as olive oil or canola oil. 3. Eat more vegetable protein, like beans and nuts, and less animal protein. 4. Choose whole grains and other sources of carbohydrates that have lower, slower effects on blood sugar and insulin rather than highly refined c
CRISPR scientists want a moratorium on gene edited babies
Several of the world’s leading CRISPR scientists and bioethicists are calling for a global moratorium on editing human genes that can be passed on from parents to children. In a new Nature commentary, published Wednesday, Feng Zhang and Emmanuelle Charpentier — two discoverers of the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system — along with MIT biologist Eric Lander and 15 other researchers from around the world, outlined the urgent need to put a pause on the editing of sper
30 years of national IVF data collection and analysis improves quality of care
In the United States, approximately 12 percent of women have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. The first successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle occurred in the United States in 1981. According to an analysis published in the March 2019 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility, treatment options have continued to improve, in part, thanks to an annual report started 30 years ago by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). "It's clear th
Prenatal Vitamins May Help Decrease Autism Risk
Prenatal vitamins may help to lower the risk of autism in children, even for high-risk families. In prior studies, the use of prenatal vitamins, specifically folate (which is taken as a dietary supplement known as folic acid), has been shown to significantly lower the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now, new research published February 27 in JAMA Psychiatry, claims that the benefits of prenatal vitamins also extend to high-risk families as well. Families th
Study finds no link between flu shots and miscarriages
A new study looking at whether women who are pregnant face an increased risk of a miscarriage if they get a flu shot found no link between the vaccine and pregnancy loss. The reassuring finding contradicts an earlier study by the same researchers that raised questions about the safety of getting a flu shot during pregnancy. An overview of the study findings was presented recently at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which guides vaccination policy
