Health & Beauty
Julie Jacobs uncovers a variety of new and alternative fertility treatment options...

Health & Beauty By Julie Jacobs It's not easy to become a parent to your parent(s). Advances on the FERTILITY FRONT oday some six million couples struggle with infertility, defined as the inability to become pregnant after one year of trying and/ or having continuous miscarriages. Fortunately, with medical intervention, two-thirds happily will go on to start their families. But with the most successful treatments, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in particular, costing thousands of dollars, many people are searching for new approaches that are less expensive, even less invasive, but just as effective. T Capable of doubling a woman's chances of conceiving is a technique called In Vitro Maturation (IVM). IVM involves removing eggs from the ovaries, maturing them in a lab incubator, and then fertilizing them with sperm before placing them back in the uterus. Patients need only about half the fertility medication required for IVF— medication that runs the risk of causing the ovaries to produce too many eggs. Still in the study phase, IVM is responsible for more than 400 births to date. It costs roughly one-third Acupuncture—in which fine needles are inserted along the body's energy meridians—is among the most widely used to one-half the fee of IVF. alternative treatment for infertility. The ancient Chinese practice "IVM was originally developed for helps reorganize and balance energy to improve tissue funcwomen with polycystic syndrome," says Peter tion. And because stress contributes to infertility, relaxing techMcGovern, M.D., medical director of Uniniques such as aromatherapy, meditation, visualization, and versity Reproductive Associates, with offices yoga are often recommended. in Montclair, Hasbrouck Heights, and HoboVitamins, herbal supplements, and diet count, too. Vitaken. "Now the medical community is looking min A enhances embryo development, Vitamin E can increase sperm production, and folic acid, zinc, and iron all boost reat whether patients with few eggs or poor egg productive health. Herbs including black cohosh, wild yam, quality can benefit. We currently are planning and chase tree may help—but check with your physician before our own IVM study." taking these unregulated supplements. Dr. McGovern has 17 years of experience Nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine should be avoided; even and employs advanced reproductive technolodecaf beverages are not recommended. And it's advised to gies such as IVF, endoscopic surgery, artificial limit meat, which can raise the body's ammonia levels and insemination, and other methods to help his interfere with egg implantation.  patients. For more information, visit: webmd.com, nlm.nih.gov, fertilityfactor.com, womenshealth.about.com, ivf.net, dailymail.co.uk, wellcome.ac.uk, womensweb.ca/pregnancy, ezarticles.com, articlesbase.com/medicine. Trends in Treatment Another new treatment is vitrification, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze eggs inside a test tube. In the past, freezing and thawing human eggs has posed greater challenges than freezing and thawing sperm and embryos. The new technique essentially prevents ice crystals from forming inside the egg, which could prove damaging. "With vitrification, we have the ability to offer fertility preservation—especially to young women with cancer who are facing chemotherapy and to older women," Dr. McGovern notes. Other research is looking at the hormone kisspeptin, which has been shown to raise the levels of key reproductive hormones in infertile women, and adult stem cells, which have been reprogrammed into cells that develop into human sperm and eggs. "We have many more options to offer today than we've ever had before," remarks Dr. McGovern. "So there are reasons for couples to be optimistic."  In Business Since 1989 Accredited by: CAHC • Live-In's • Hourly Shifts • Care Management • RN's, LPN's, CHHA's On Call 24/7 www.statnursing.net 973.428.6030 ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES November 2009 VicinityMagazine.com 45

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