Aurora magazine

The embryonic development of the uterus involves the fusion of the two Mullerian ducts. The fabric between the two is reabsorbed, so as to obtain a single organ. Sometimes, tissue melting or reabsorption is not successful. In these cases, a series of congenital anomalies develop, including the arcuate uterus. How does this affect the chances of carrying out a pregnancy?

Uterine abnormalities can have negative consequences on gestation. A recent analysis focused on the arcuate uterus in relation to in vitro fertilization techniques. The researchers analyzed the success rates of fertilization techniques in women with this anomaly. To this end, they evaluated the uterine cavity of a group of women who were undergoing IVF.

Among the women involved, 76 had an arcuate womb and 354 were part of the control group. The first suffered a total of 83 attempts at installations, compared to 378 in the second group. The success rate of the implant was 63.7% among women with an arched uterus and 65.4% among others. Also the rate of live births was similar and that of spontaneous abortion (4.8% in the first group, 4.3% in the second). It therefore appears that the arcuate uterus does not significantly affect the results of in vitro fertilization.

The major criticality of the study concerns the criteria for the diagnosis of the arcuate uterus. To date there is no single criterion, so that women with very different uteri are put in the same group. The variation rate can go from 3% up to 38%.

Source: medscape.com

A Kaiser Permanente study analyzed the use of cannabis among future mothers. The researchers found that it is more common among women with severe problems of nausea being more prone. The rate of consumption is instead lower among women who do not suffer from morning sickness.

The study explores earlier work, which showed an increase in cannabis use among pregnant women. None of these, however, focused on the "why" of this increase. The reasons would be in morning sickness. According to the researchers, it is likely that many women use the substance as self-medication.

The researchers involved over 220,000 pregnant women, collecting data on substance use and possible discomforts. This is the largest study done to date on the subject. The team of Dr. Kelly Young-Wolff found that women with severe nausea had 4 times more chance of consuming cannabis. The rate was 2 times higher among those complaining of mild nausea.

The percentage of prenatal marijuana use among women was 5.3%. 2.3% of the over 220,000 women complained of severe nausea. 11.3% of these used cannabis to alleviate the inconveniences. On the other hand, women with mild problems of nausea were 15.3%, 8.4% of whom consumed marijuana during pregnancy. Among women without problems of nausea, however, consumption was 4.5%.

Doctors do not recommend cannabis use during pregnancy. The substance may have consequences on the neural development of the fetus and birth weight. However, further studies will also be needed on these data.

Source: medicalxpress.com

High levels of cortisol in pregnancy are related to a more anxious offspring and prone to depressive disorders. A study published in Biological Psychiatry analyzed the consequences of stress on a group of expectant mothers. High levels of cortisol would reinforce the communication channels between brain regions for the processing of feelings and sensations. The most obvious consequences were on the offspring of females, while the male ones did not show any consequences.

Doctors Alice Graham and Claudia Buss measured cortisol levels in 70 pregnant women. To have more reliable data, they repeated the operation several times during the first, second and third quarter. Furthermore, they took into account typical variations of pregnancy. Once babies were born, they immediately used magnetic resonance imaging to analyze neural connections. They repeated the analyzes after 2 years, analyzing their behavior.

High levels of cortisol were related to alterations in the brains of newborns. The young have shown consequences in the development of different brain regions and in the way they communicate with each other. The altered connectivity involved regions related to the processing of emotion, the amygdala. According to the study, the newborns showing these alterations were the same that 2 years later would show anxious and depressive symptoms.

The study is yet another proof of how maternal health affects the child's future conditions. Specifically, it shows that the predisposition to mental illness develops in the womb. In the case of cortisol, however, the consequences have only affected the brain activity of the girls.

Source: elsevier.com

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is less effective in women undergoing ovarian endometriosis surgery. In fact, they respond worse to ovarian hyperstimulation necessary for treatments against infertility. Nevertheless, the live birth rate compared to pregnancies remains average. This is what a study published in the journal PLOS One states.

Infertility is one of the consequences of endometriosis, prompting many women to resort to assisted fertilization. According to the study, ovarian endometriosis would have a negative impact on treatments. Endometriotic cysts, even when benign, obstruct the stimulation of the ovaries. It remains unclear how this occurs.

The researchers involved 201 infertile women with ovarian endometriosis. In 108 of them, the disease had touched only one of the two ovaries. In addition, they included 402 healthy women who were undergoing assisted reproduction as a control group. To get more accurate data, scientists took into account factors such as age and anti-mullerian hormone levels.

According to the data, women with endometriosis showed a worse response to hormonal stimulation. 30.8% of the first group failed the first treatment cycle, against 22.3% of the second group. A more in-depth analysis showed that women who had operated against endometriosis had even worse results.

Ovarian endometriosis limits the number of oocytes. The surgery would seem to make the situation even worse. The authors of the study therefore recommend to conserve some oocytes before surgery.

Source: endometriosisnews.com