The 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine
The annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine was held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston and attracted approximately 5,000 participants from around the world, including physicians, researchers, nurses, technicians, and other health care professionals interested in reproductive medicine. The conference featured more than 1,000 abstracts focusing on reproductive biology as well as more than 200 different vendors.
In one study, Linda Applegarth, Ph.D., of the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and colleagues found that many parents who waited beyond the age of 8 years to disclose to their child that they were conceived with donor eggs ended up not disclosing this information because they were waiting for the right time to tell their child but that "right time" never occurred.
"Still intending to disclose, they find themselves with teenagers and even college-aged children. This presents a myriad of additional issues in terms of disclosure such as high levels of parental anxiety and potential feelings of betrayal and identity confusion for the children," said Applegarth. "Those families who disclosed early and allowed their children the opportunity to grow into an understanding of their conception story never had to 'tell' them
because they always 'knew.' This difference between knowing and telling is paramount in the discussion about disclosure. Families who disclosed their conception story to their children, in very simple terms, before the age of eight, and often much early, had a base on which to build as their children's understanding and curiosity grew."
The study was partially funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Abstract No. P-906
In another study, Daniel H. Kort, M.D., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues found that supplementation with cinnamon increased menstrual cyclicity among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Patients were randomized to receive either cinnamon supplements (1,500 mg/day) or placebo over a six-month period.
"After six months of intervention, women receiving cinnamon had significant improvement in menstrual cyclicity compared to controls," the authors write. "Women receiving cinnamon supplementation had significant improvement in menstrual cyclicity from baseline, while women receiving placebo had no significant change in menstrual cyclicity."
Abstract No. P-696
Researchers in Guangdong, China, found that removal of an intrauterine device (IUD) had no lingering effect on a woman's ability to conceive a child. The investigators found that, among 562 women who had their IUD removed between January 2012 and January 2013, 72.6 percent conceived a child after IUD removal, with an average length of time to pregnancy being 11 months. The investigators also found that the length of IUD use and the age of the woman impacted pregnancy rates.
"Being able to exercise some control over when they reproduce is a great emancipator for women. The fact that IUD use has no long-lasting effect on subsequent ability to conceive is reassuring news," Richard Kennedy, Secretary General of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, said in a statement.
Press Release
ASRM: Egg Donations for IVF Up in the U.S.
THURSDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- From 2000 to 2010, in the United States, the number of donor oocyte cycles increased, and the number of good perinatal outcomes also increased, according to research published online on Oct. 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This research was published to coincide with presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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ASRM: Cinnamon Improves Menstrual Cyclicity in PCOS
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Cinnamon supplementation improves menstrual cyclicity and may improve fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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ASRM: Vasectomy Timing Associated With Financial Crisis
TUESDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Men considering a vasectomy after the financial crisis in 2008 had significantly fewer children compared with men considering the procedure before the crisis, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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ASRM: Studies Examine Impact of Lifestyle on Sperm Quality
TUESDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Lifestyle behaviors such as caffeine and alcohol intake and physical activity may impact sperm quality parameters, according to three studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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ASRM: Male Phthalate Levels Linked to Lower Fecundability
TUESDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Male concentrations of phthalates correlate with diminished couple fecundability, while increased maternal conjugated bisphenol A (BPA) levels correlate with miscarriage, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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ASRM: Biomarker Linked to Success of Embryo Implantation
MONDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Among women undergoing in vitro fertilization, embryos above a threshold amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are less likely to implant, even if they are chromosomally normal, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held from Oct. 12 to 17 in Boston.
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