Aurora magazine

For the first time in the United States, a woman born without a uterus could give birth to her son. The merit of the uterus transplant was led by Dr. Liza Johannesson. The technique has already paid off in other parts of the world, but this was the first US case.

The birth took place at Baylor University Medical Center, where the clinical trial for uterus transplantation is ongoing. The women who participate in it all suffer from absolute infertility due to the uterine factor. Many of them have a functioning or non-functioning uterus due to birth defects. Others suffer from the consequences of tumors or other diseases.

The uterus used for transplantation is that of nurse Taylor Siler, 36 years old. The woman has two children and has decided not to have any more. For this reason, he decided to donate his womb to give another woman the chance to become a mother. For this purpose she underwent a series of physical and psychological screening, culminating in an intervention of over five hours.

The transplant of the uterus of Siler was only one of the 8 occurred in the first phase of the trial. Of these 5 were successful, while the other 3 ended with a rejection. All participants are between 20 and 35 years old and all donors are between 30 and 60 years old.

After transplantation, women waited for the first menstruation, after which they resorted to in vitro fertilization. In the case of the US study, in fact, women have all ovaries functioning but not connected with the uterus. They can therefore ovulate, but conception is possible only through assisted fertilization.
The child protagonist of the story is the first born thanks to the US program. The delivery was by caesarean section and the baby is fine.

Source: time.com

A study by the Universities of New Mexico and Göttingen suggests that stress in pregnancy affects the weight of the child at the time of delivery. The discovery follows a series of other research, focusing on the role of stress in fetal development.

According to the researchers, the pregnancy phase is also decisive in which the highest levels of stress are recorded. In the last stages of pregnancy, stress pushes the woman to invest less energy in the fetus. This causes a slowdown in development, which results in a lower weight of the child both at birth and in the first months. Once the baby is weaned, however, he starts growing normally.

Prenatal stress is far more harmful in the early stages of gestation than the fetus is still developing. In these months, it can push the fetus to develop faster to survive a reduced life expectancy. This has negative consequences even after giving birth. The fetus developed in serious stress situations, in fact, will grow faster than the peers even once born. The finding could explain why cases of premature menarche are more common among poor families.

Stress during the early stages of gestation also increases the risk of obesity. Once the individual is independent of the mother, the organism still maintains a rate of accelerated development. This translates into metabolic problems and sometimes into obesity. In some cases the consequences also affect the psychological sphere of the child.

Source: unm.edu

Researchers at the University of Colorado and Duke University have presented a study on best techniques for in vitro fertilization. According to scientists, fresh oocytes give more chance of success than frozen ones. Likewise, it is better to implant one embryo at a time. All of these findings were presented to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Dr Alex Polotsky, the lead author of the study, is on the verge of other research in recent years. It confirms what others have already said: planting many embryos at a time is not only useless but also deleterious. For in vitro fertilization to be successful, it is much better to implant one or two embryos at a time. This also limits the risk of twin pregnancies, which are dangerous for women and for fetuses.

The focal point of the study, however, was the use of frozen oocytes and its relationship to the number of embryos implanted. To date it is still uncertain whether it is best to use fresh or frozen oocytes, especially when they come from a donor. To clarify this point, the researchers examined the data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). They focused in particular on women who used donated eggs, which usually give more chances of success.

Analyzes have revealed that the rate of healthy babies born is the same, regardless of whether women have used fresh or frozen ovules. The use of fresh oocytes, however, goes hand in hand with the implant of two or three embryos at a time, thus having more twin parts and more complications. On the contrary, it is easier for those who use frozen oocytes to plant only one embryo at a time.

Source: eurekalert.org

The Peace River valley in Canada is also known for the abundance of natural fractures. Researcher Élyse Caron-Beaudoin has led a study on the effects of these volatile compounds. In particular, it focused on the effects of exposure to benzene in pregnancy.

Muconic acid is a degradation product of benzene, a volatile toxic and carcinogenic substance. Among the participants in the study, 29 levels of substance concentration were 3.5 times higher than the national average. In 5 of these, the concentration exceeded the limits recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).

The link between levels of mucus acid and benzene exposure is not taken for granted. We still need to see if there is a causal relationship between the two, though it is very likely. Excessive levels of muconic acid may be caused by additives in ready-to-eat foods. However, it is unlikely that diet alone may have affected so much.

An additional point of interest is the rate of indigenous women involved in contamination. Of the 29 women with high levels of mucus acid, 14 were indigenous. In addition, the results revealed that among these women had a substance concentration 2.3 times higher than the other. The data is not statistically significant given the scarcity of participants. It is true, however, that these women lived on average in areas most exposed to hydraulic fractures.

The negative consequences of exposure to benzene during pregnancy are known. Studies link it to a higher rate of infant leukemia, spina bifida and other congenital defects. That is why it is important to understand the exact origin of the mucus acid found in the urine of the study participants. To do this, you will need a much wider study.

Source: medicalxpress.com