Zika virus damages placenta

Zika virus is known for a recent outbreak that caused children to be born with microencephaly, or having a small head, and other malformations, new research suggests the virus damages a pregnant mother's placenta, an organ inside a woman's uterus that protects and cares for a growing baby.

Zika virus infection in five pregnant rhesus monkeys caused placental tissues to become thickened and inflamed. As a result, the researchers saw less oxygen being transported across the placenta and to the baby. Decreased oxygen levels in a placenta can impair fetal development and ultimately the health of a baby.

The role of a placenta is to protect and provide nutrition to a growing baby for optimum health Professor Daniel Streblow, Ph.D., and assistant professor Alec Hirsch, Ph.D., both of whom lead molecular microbiology and immunology research at the OHSU Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. Streblow also leads pathobiology and immunology research at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and is a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology within the OHSU School of Medicine.

The reseachers used a non-invasive, in vivo MRI technique to evaluate oxygen levels inside the placenta and oxygen flow between mother and baby. They found that, in monkeys that were infected with Zika early in their pregnancies, the rate of oxygen transport through the placenta decreased about 10-fold. The OHSU research team also determined the Zika virus can readily pass from mother to baby and remain in the baby long-term, leading to a chronic infection in utero.

 These findings may provide important insights into the mechanisms by which Zika virus causes disease during pregnancy. By better understanding how both mother and child become infected with and affected by the Zika virus, researchers can determine how to prevent its infection and disease. The OHSU research team is using the knowledge gained from this study to develop a safe and effective Zika vaccine for use during pregnancy.
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One embryo increases the chance of having a healthy baby

Transferring one rather than multiple fertilized donor eggs doubles the chances of a healthy birth. Using In vitro fertilisation IVF increases the odds of having twins or multiples birth which increases the likelihood that the babies will be born premature and underweight.

Many women choose to have multiple embryos transferred in IVF to improve their chances of getting pregnant. In traditional IVF, using fresh eggs, the donor egg is immediately fertilized with a semen sample and then inserted into the uterus of the mother.

For the process to work, the egg donor and recipient have to have their hormonal schedules synced up. With more moving parts, IVF with fresh eggs can take more time, patience, work and money. Frozen eggs can be cryogenically stored for up to 15 years, and are ready to be fertilized as soon as they have thawed.

Egg-freezing is now a commercially available service, but using them for IVF was still an experiment. Cryobanks have touted the practice as just as effective, affordable and simpler than the use of live eggs. Using frozen- bank eggs has no negative outcomes compared to using fresh eggs. Fresh donor eggs are slightly more likely to successfully implant in the recipient’s uterus and result in a live birth, but the outcome is not clinically significant.

There are elevated risks for multiple births, and babies that are premature and have low birth rates for both forms of IVF, but especially for those who use fresh donor eggs. Only one embryo should be transferred at a time because multiple births are at risk for premature birth or low birth weights.
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Causes of IVF failure

The most important variables involved in a successful IVF cycle are a healthy egg, normal, functional sperm, and a uterus that is capable of nurturing the growth of a baby.

The human egg is a very complex structure, it is prone to damage and this can render it nonfunctional which may leads to abnormal distribution of chromosomes and nonviable embryo.

During IVF, cell stage, embryo grade and the rate of cell division will determined embryo selection, embryos that have developed to at least the 6 cell stage have a much better prognosis for success than embryos that have 5 or fewer cells on day three.

The egg retrieval and the embryo transfer to correct location are very important to the success of an IVF cycle. Retrieving fewer eggs than expected, or failure to retrieve any eggs, can affect the success rate.

The IVF laboratory factors can lead to failure of IVF. If the equipment are not functioning properly, poor control of oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, and other factors such as humidity, PH, temperature and light.
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Ways of detecting preterm birth

There is no reliable way to predict whether a woman with a normal pregnancy will go into labor before 37 weeks. After analyzing the properties of cervical mucus, the researchers found that cervical mucus from women who delivered early was different from that of women who delivered later.

This analysis could predict the risk of early labor, potentially allowing doctors to try to intervene earlier to prevent preterm births. The distinctive chemical and mechanical properties of mucus, and how those properties help it to perform many critical roles as part of the body's first line of defense against infection.

Early births are believed to be caused by infections that occur when microbes reach the uterus through the cervical which is made of mucus and normally blocks access to the uterus. Cervical mucus from pregnant women at high risk of early labor was mechanically weaker and more elastic than that of low-risk pregnant women.

Mucus is formed from polymers known as mucins, and the composition and arrangement of these mucins determine how porous the gel is. Researchers collected samples from two groups of patients; the low-risk group included pregnant women and high-risk group included women who went into labor early, between 24 and 34 weeks.

Doctors were able to prevent labor in high-risk women, and the samples were taken after they were stabilized. Researchers tested the ability of negatively charged spheres about 1 micron in diameter to travel through the mucus, and found a small but statistically insignificant difference in porosity between the high- and low-risk samples.

They then decided to do the same test with charged peptide probes, which are small enough to avoid getting stuck in the mucus network but are sensitive to the biochemical modifications of the mucus. With these peptide probes, the researchers found a significant differences in mucus permeability and adhesiveness: The peptides were able to pass through samples from high-risk women much more easily.

Cervical mucus from women at high risk for early labor may be more susceptible to invasion by potentially harmful bacteria and microbes, making it more likely that those women will experience an infection that leads to preterm birth. The altered mucus may be less able to retain healthy immune system components such as antibodies or antimicrobial peptides, which would normally help to combat infection.

Mucins display immunologically active factors that may also lose when the adhesive properties change, this loss of adhesion might be caused by changes in molecular structure of the mucins, in particular, changes in the number and types of sugar molecules that comprise part of their structure.

Measuring the length of cervix is the common way to predict the risk of preterm birth, a shortened cervix is correlated with higher risk, there are also many cases where a shortened cervix does not lead to preterm birth.
Another test involves measuring levels of fetal fibronectin, a material that essentially "glues" the fetal membranes to the uterine wall, in vaginal secretions.
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How to prepare your body for IVF

For a woman to get pregnant, her reproductive organs like ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes need to be in good condition and function properly. Conditions that affect these organs may render a woman infertile. Looking at
polycystic ovary syndrome - a condition which causes irregular or no menstruation.

 Another problem is functional hypothalamic amenorrhea - a condition caused by low body weight or excessive exercise. Premature ovarian insufficiency - a condition which causes a woman's ovaries to cease to function before age 40.

Infertility in men can be determined through a semen analysis, which studies a man's sperm count, the motility and shape of sperm. If a man's testicular or ejaculatory functions are disrupted, this may cause infertility. These disruptions can be caused by
varicoceles - a condition which causes the veins on a man's testicles to overheat.

During IVF treatments, woman’s eggs are extracted and fertilized outside of her body. The resulting embryos are then implanted in her uterus. One IVF cycle lasts about two weeks, receiving IVF treatments increases a woman's chances of conceiving, it does not always result in pregnancy.

Having more than one round of IVF can increase the chance of becoming pregnant, women can prepare their body for pregnancy by getting acupuncture two to three times a week before IVF treatments.

Acupuncture leads to better blood flow, which will result in higher quality eggs. Engaging in exercise can also ease women's stress levels, which will help the process to work better. Avoid any stressful activities and reduce work load, eat balanced diet regularly especially fruits and vegetables, avoid fish. Take folic acid and vitamin D in moderation.
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Lockdown gene to increase IVF success rate

In Vitro Fertilization IVF is an assisted reproductive technology, it is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving sperm and manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. The embryo is then transferred to the uterus.

Human egg and sperm cells have their genes trained to fertilize. After fertilization, the developing embryo begins the genetic program that turns a single cell into a healthy fetus.

Epigenetic changes to the DNA, like the removal of methyl group locks by enzymes, which allows many more genes to be read. Some genes need to be locked down during development, as their genetic messages cause problems for the embryo.

Everything that goes wrong in embryos has the potential to cause infertility or early pregnancy abortions. The scientists sequenced the RNA of more than 30 embryos lacking Trim28 and discovered that Rbmy1a1 gene was unusually active.

The enzyme encoded by Rbmy1a1 produces mRNA transcripts which are harmful to the developing embryo. Detecting the activity of detrimental genes like Rbmy1a1 before an embryo is implanted could improve rates of IVF success.
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Effects of endometriosis on fertility

According to the latest research, women who suffer painful endometriosis are more likely to have lesions deep in their bodies and intestines.

Endometriosis occurs when cells in the uterus are located in another parts of the body and cause bleeding every month.

Common symptoms of endometriosis are painful and irregular menstruation, pain during or after sex, infertility, painful bowel movements and fatigue.

The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure. The painful symptoms can be reduced by surgery, hormone treatment or use of pain relief drugs.

Women with this condition may experience delay before conception, fertility treatment can increase the chance of becoming pregnant.
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Facts about surgical menopause

Menopause occurs when a woman has not had her period for 12 months or more. This occurs when the ovaries stop producing or produce reduced amounts of female hormone, this is common in 40s or 50s.

The ovaries are small organs situated either side of the uterus. They produce hormones, such as estrogen and
progesterone, that control a woman's menstrual cycle.

Without ovaries to release hormones, a woman will go through menopause at an earlier time. This can have both short- and long-term effects on women that they should prepare for and be aware of.

Surgical menopause, which is also known as a bilateral oophorectomy, is a procedure in which a woman's ovaries are removed.

In most cases, the procedure involve a small cut in the lower abdomen to access and remove the ovaries.
Sometimes, a doctor will perform an oophorectomy along with other gynecological surgeries, including:
hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus

Salpingectomy, which is the removal of the fallopian tubes that are near the
ovaries, salpingo-oophorectomy, which is the removal of both the ovaries and the fallopian tubes.

There are several reasons why a doctor may perform an oophorectomy, which induces menopause. These include:
endometriosis, non-cancerous ovarian tumors or cysts.

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Zika virus causes more diseases in children

Zika could be more dangerous to unborn babies because test on pregnant monkeys infected with the virus found that every single fetus had picked up some trace of Zika.

 The research team infected four pregnant rhesus macaque monkeys at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center with a Zika virus and
discovered that the virus was present in each monkey's fetus.

The research group also found damage from Zika in every part of the interface between mother and fetus - the placenta, amniotic fluid in the womb and the lining of uterus.

Three of the baby monkeys were born with small heads, but not as small as it would need to be to meet the human standard for diagnosing microcephaly.

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HSG fertility method reduces need for IVF

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has revolutionized fertility treatment. The most common type of ART is in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a woman's eggs are removed and fertilized in a laboratory, and the resulting embryos are then transferred back into the woman.

A recent study, testing a procedure that dates back 100 years, offers hope of a solution that is significantly cheaper and quicker. Flushing the fallopian tubes with an iodized poppy seed oil.

The procedure was first carried out in 1917. It is a dye test conducted under X-ray and is used to examine the uterus and fallopian tubes of women having trouble becoming pregnant. Either water-based or oil-based solutions are used to flush the tubes.

HSG was designed as an imaging procedure, rather than a treatment.
Pregnancy rates among infertile women has increase after their tubes had been flushed with either water or oil during HSG procedure.

The study involved 1,119 women who were trying for a child. Half of the participants received an HSG using oil- Lipiodol Ultra-Fluid, an iodized solution of fatty acids made from poppy seeds

The other half of the participants had an HSG using water. 40 percent of the women in the oil group and 29 percent in the water group conceived within 6 months of having the procedure.

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Swimming condition in the uterus and fertility

Before conception can take place in mammals, the semen and the egg must be in good condition. Male and female mammals have to contribute to conception before it can take place.

Researcher in Washington State University has found that uterus in female mice has enzymes that can break semen into watery form and make it easier to swim for conception to take place.

Female mice produce the enzyme using estrogen to cause the process of breaking down the semen. Lack of gene to induce the process will leads to failure of the semen in the uterus.

Facts about cesarean section

Cesarean section is the delivery of a baby or babies through a surgical incision in the mother's abdomen wall and uterus.

It is often performed when vaginal delivery would put the mother, baby or babies at risk.

• More than 30 percent of all deliveries are by cesarean section.
• You can have vaginal birth if you wish after the first cesarean section.
• You can breastfeed your baby 20 minutes after the operation in a comfortable position.
• Vaginal birth does not make you a super woman, whichever way you give birth to your baby, be proud of yourself.
• Muscles are not cut during cesarean section, they were pushed apart.