Aurora magazine

According to researchers from the National Institutes of Health, conceiving becomes more difficult if both of the intended parents are obese. Compared with the normal weight pairs, the obese need at least 55% more time so that their efforts are to succeed. Many other studies have shown that the weight of the mother affects the couple's fertility, but this is one of the first to take into account also the father of the weight. The discovery will affect in an important way how they deal with fertility issues, focusing particularly on the body of both partners account.

The 501 couples involved were part of the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study, a study to examine the relationship between fertility and exposure to chemicals. The women ranged from 18 to 44 years, men aged 18 and older. All women have kept up to date until the pregnancy a diary of the cycle, intercourse and pregnancy test results. The researchers also calculated the body mass index of each participant, splitting couples obese into two groups: obese class I and class II obese, according to the severity of the disorder.

The team compared the average time to conceive couples with that of non-obese class II pairs, the most severe form of obesity. The researchers have thus calculated the probability of conception by means of a statistical measurement system, which also takes into account the body mass index. It is thus found that the couples suffering from obesity class II have a lot more trouble conceiving than those of normal weight. Those examined have in fact employed 55% of the time more than their counterparts. Not to pollute the data, the researchers also taking into account factors such as age, smoking and level of physical activity.

Until now scientists have only focused on the woman's weight. With this study, it becomes clear that even the physical condition of the father affect your chances of conceiving. It will be so good that even the aspiring dad take account of its own weight. Pregnancy is a time of joy for prospective parents. The mother must be thinking even now the baby's own health that can be monitored with prenatal screening tests

Source: eurekalert.org

People with hypothyroidism have a thyroid hormone deficiency, symptom of a malfunctioning thyroid or a resistance of the tissues to the hormones in question. In the first case we speak of primary hypothyroidism (95% of cases), in the second of central hypothyroidism (5% of cases). The disease causes the slowing of metabolic processes, which results in tiredness, increased sensitivity to cold, difficulty concentrating. In children can also cause deficits in both physical and intellectual growth.

To make a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is to measure the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine in the blood: their deficits indicates difficulties in the functioning of the gland. Another symptom is an excess of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood: TSH controls the secretion of hormones by the thyroid. When the thyroid is struggling to react to stimuli, the anterior pituitary releases more TSH in an attempt to "wake up" the thyroid.
There are three main types of hypothyroidism, depending on when it occurs and how it manifests: congenital, acquired and subclinical. As per the name, congenital hypothyroidism comes from childhood and is associated with altered thyroid if not its complete absence. Locate the disorder is often difficult, if not when the disease has already progressed and has become blatant. Children with congenital hypothyroidism in fact, tend to suffer from mental retardation, due to the abnormal development of the central nervous system. This and other problems, however, occur only when the child begins to grow. For this reason, many suggest to run on all neonates the dosage of TSH, FT3 and FT4, so as to intervene immediately with the right treatments.

The acquired hypothyroidism occurs in adulthood, often accompanied by a goiter. Due to the slowing of the metabolic functions of the cells, the body produces less energy and then tries to consume even less. Consequently slows down the mobile phone exchange, the body develops less heat and oxygenation of the tissues is more difficult. Resulting sensitivity to cold, dry skin, dry hair. Those suffering from hypothyroidism acquired also makes it hard to concentrate and depression problems, often accompanied by fatigue and drowsiness.

We talk about subclinical hypothyroidism when the thyroid damage are not apparent in clinical terms, while being continuous and progressive. Often the disorder is manifested after the age of 50, while being present for many years. According to many doctors, early intervention at a young age could prevent age-related problems, including changes in mental function.

Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered the hormone that triggers sexual desire. They called kisspeptin and could help many men suffering from psychological sexual problems. The loss of desire is in fact a common problem among people with fertility problems, who perhaps are undergoing the IVF treatments. Kisspeptin may offer an alternative to more invasive drugs, restoring serenity to many couples and also facilitating conception.

The study involved 29 young heterosexual men in health. Half of these have received an injection of kisspeptin and half a placebo. After injection, the researchers showed them the various images, including some relating to the intimate and sexual. Meanwhile they observed the reactions at the physical level using brain scan. In men who received kisspeptin, the brain areas related to the romantic and sexual life were much more active than average.

The hormone may play a role in brain processes that involve reproduction. If confirmed, then, the discovery would have implications both on the study of human reproductive processes, both on the treatment of disorders of sexual and reproductive sphere. In fact, although most studies on human fertility are limited to biological aspects, researchers at Imperial College suggest that the emotional process could benefit an important role. emotional process but still only partially understand.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

One of the Lancet Global Health study reveals that 10% of pregnant women continue to drink alcohol. alarming numbers, which are aggravated when the focus shifts on our country. In Italy, in fact, 50% of lactating women consumes more alcohol than recommended. This exposes the fetus to the so-called fetal alcohol syndrome, which leads to develop neurological disorders and birth defects.

A team from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto (CAMH) has produced an estimate of the percentage of women who continue to take alcohol during pregnancy. In order to obtain these data, the researchers reviewed the world literature on the subject in a systematic way. They were able to also create a comparison of the percentage of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and fetal alcohol syndrome rates. The analysis was conducted at both the world, both at country level and at the level of the six regional structures the World Health Organization (Europe, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, the Americas, the Western Pacific).

The study shows that worldwide, 10% of pregnant women continue to drink alcohol, although the percentages vary from country to country. In Europe the percentage exceeds 25%, with peaks in Italy, UK and Russia; here the percentage beat and sometimes exceed 50%. These countries are also born a greater number of children with fetal alcohol syndrome: in Italy there are about 82 cases of syndrome of every 10,000 newborns. In the United States, however, there are approximately 22 cases per 10,000 births, compared with 10 cases per 10,000 in Canada. In the Middle East, where the consumption of alcohol is almost completely absent for religious reasons, there is less than 1 in 10,000.

Drink more than recommended during pregnancy does not automatically lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. Nevertheless, the connection between increased alcohol consumption and more cases is obvious. According to the study, about one mother who consumes alcohol of 67 will give birth to a sick child. However, it is still unclear what other factors come into play in the development of the disease. The researchers think that genetics, stress, smoking and diet play a role, but currently lack evidence to support the thesis. The only safe form of prevention remains so complete abstention from alcohol and, for safety, a comprehensive prenatal screening.

Source: osservatoriomalattierare.it