Down Syndrome - Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

Down syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by retarded mental and physical development of the child. Some of the distinct features include the presence of poor muscle tone, a flattened facial profile and nose, short neck, small head, upward slanting eyes ears, and mouth. There is also an increased risk for health problems. Genetically speaking, the person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies in all cells. It is also called as trisomy 21 because of the presence of an extra chromosome caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell. It is a relatively common genetic disorder at birth especially in case of older age pregnancy. Possibly, the egg quality diminishes with age and causes more embryos to be chromosomally abnormal.

Parents of a child with a genetic disorder such as Down Syndrome are always worried about the possibility of the same problem occurring in a future pregnancy. The question is frequently posed to the family doctor taking care of a pregnant mother. Gynaecologists always face this question the possibility can be determined at an early stage of pregnancy when the same can be legally terminated. This is a very difficult question which can be answered only by pre-implantation genetic tests by a qualified and experienced doctor – the best gynaecologist. 

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) involves the testing of pre-implantation stage embryos or oocytes for genetic defects. PGD is done for couples whose potential offspring are at risk of severe Mendelian disorders, structural chromosome abnormalities or mitochondrial disorders. Besides Down Syndrome, many other common as well as rare diseases can also be diagnosed in this fashion, such as serious  lung disease Cystic fibrosis, neurological diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, and Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and blood diseases such as hemophilia, Sickle cell disease and thalassemia. PGD is especially helpful when one or both genetic parents has a known genetic abnormality.

IVF is required to obtain embryos for PGD. During IVF, PGD is performed before embryo transfer to select eggs without a known or suspected gene problem to remove the possibility of the genetic disorder. Assisted hatching is done after eggs are retrieved and fertilized in the laboratory. 

There is also some evidence to suggest that PGS testing reduces miscarriages. It is particularly important in case of women of older than 35 years of age.  Moreover, screening embryos with PGS and transferring only the ones that are chromosomally normal can increase IVF success rates.

According to the advice of the best gynaecologist in Chandigarh PGD is safe; most of the risks are similar to those for conventional IVF. Occasionally, mild reactions such as hot flushes, feeling down or irritable, headaches and restlessness may occur. These symptoms usually disappear after a short time.

Relationship between Diet/Lifestyle/Stress and Male Infertility

According to medical specialists, about 10 – 15 % of couples in India are said to have infertility. Infertility is not just a women’s problem. Men can infertile too.

In our daily practice we can seen that there is a drastic change in daily routine of people. They are stressed and have poor lifestyle habits in comparison to the past century. So they become more susceptible to different health problems. Infertility is also amongst these. In case of men, infertility issue is related to a variety of risk factors like medical issues, lifestyle expectancy, sperm count, production of sperm, hormonal imbalance etc.

There is a direct link between the environment, socio economic factors and male infertility. Poor eating habits contribute to this infertility problem.

Here are a few points for regarding male fertility:

Waist circumference: By waist circumference we are talking about obesity. Higher the waist circumference, more will be obesity and lower will be the semen volume and sperm concentration. So, one should achieve a healthy weight with normal waist circumference.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: Diabetes does not directly affect male fertility or causes sperm  immobility but it can lead to poor sperm quality. Again, one of the main factors contributing to DM Type 2 is obesity and poor lifestyle.

Stress: Stress is the prominent part of any society and infertility is itself stressful due various factors like social pressure, testing, diagnosis, treatment etc. By following a regular counselling sessions from their psychologist one can recover from this. Lower levels of psychological stress and anxiety can help in the restoration of semen quality.

Dietary pattern and Habits:  Several observational studies have proved a strong connection between male fertility and dietary habits. Diets rich in red meat, saturated fats, trans fats, alcohol, cigarette smoking, caffeine, late night screening, too much of sauna,  together make a negative influence on chance of their partner’s pregnancy or their fertility.

A good intake of antioxidants, low fat dairy, lean meats, fruits and vegetable, seeds and nut proves good. In short a healthy balanced meal and good lifestyle leads to increase in good sperm quality or semen volume. Regular physical activity whether in the form of any sport or exercise proves beneficial as it will keep the person fit, i.e., keep their body weight within normal BMI range, good hormones’ will release which will help them to lower their anxiety level and many more benefits are there.

So, the conclusion is this that correction of inappropriate lifestyles can improve sperm quality and semen volume. Attention to proper diet, reduction of obesity and control of underlying diseases will lead improvement in fertility potential.

“NEVER GIVE UP ON A DREAM JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIME IT WILL TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH IT.”

Connection Between Diet and Infertility

Diet has a significant impact on both male and female reproductive organs.  Poor dietary habits, lifestyle, late night parties, binge eating, more screen time, obesity, overweight, underweight etc all these together leads to infertility and hormonal imbalance in both men and women.

In our today’s daily practice we have found couples struggling with infertility due to all the above said factors. Obesity, PCOD/PCOS, hormonal imbalance are directly connected with infertility.

By doing some changes in one’s daily routines and adopting healthy habits one can achieve the dream of being a parent.

As we all know, a healthy pregnancy leads to a healthy child. So a diet rich in all the nutrients and environment free of chemicals like cosmetics, fresheners, keratins etc. Can improve ovulation, fertility and offer an excellent start to pregnancy.

Here are a few recommendations for both men and women which can help to increase their fertility.

• Eat food from all the food groups including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, unsaturated  healthy fats, plant protein and lean animal proteins.

• Cut down the trans fat intake and saturated fats also. All these can cause insulin sensitivity or resistance. Or fat accumulation in the body. Switch to more of unsaturated fats like vegetable oils, olive oil, nuts etc.

• Consume seeds daily like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax and sesame as all these together help in improving the sperm quality in men.

• Try to replace meat protein with vegetable protein (as animals  are often raised at unsanitary farms and given pesticides or chemical loaded feed).

• Try to start using more of the organic products as much as possible. Or wash the food properly before using them .

• Drink plenty of water and cut off refined sugars or sugar based beverages.

• Choose carbohydrates wisely or food that is rich in fibre and slowly digested. As these kinds of foods have low glycemic index and they help to control your blood sugar and insulin levels.

• Choose more of the natural products. Limit the use of chemicals. 

• Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake. Chronic smoking and drinking alcohol is associated with reduced sperm concentration, volume and motility.

• Limit the use of ready to cook foods. As these are loaded with preservatives, genetically modified foods or ingredients whose regular use can cause hormonal imbalance.

• If you use a microwave then use glass containers for heating as plastic materials will release toxic compounds.

• Monitor for healthy weight as obesity or being overweight is the main culprit for infertility.

A balanced wholesome diet is most important for infertility in both men and women. Only a positive mind and a positive approach will give you a kick start for a healthy life. Your body will become what you eat. So eat better, not less. A fertile bedrock will develop as a result of these changes.

Before starting any medicine or diet plan consult your doctors and dietician as all diets are not perfect for everyone. Each body needs their own changes and has their own requirements.

Top 10 Ways to Ensure High Success Rates For IVF

The IVF process is both an expensive and stressful process for a lot of people, however, tips and hints of what to do prior to entering an IVF center in Chandigarh can make a huge difference.

The thing is, when you apply the tips we are share in this article, we’re going to double the success rate for you.

Step 1 – Detox

Whenever you visit any hospital, certain tests are advised to assess the exact treatment required.
When you detox, you are bringing your body back to its natural state. You are removing toxins that have been built up in your body which can impact the test negatively.

So just relax and indulge in activities you like e.g. jogging, singing or dancing.

Step 2 – Nutrition

The detox shouldn’t take very long. But it should lead into a diet that can boost your success rate. Balanced diet helps in producing good quality eggs and sperms during treatment.

Step 3 – Acupuncture

Some specialists proclaim this by reducing stress, enhance ovarian functions along with increasing the blood supply in reproductive organs.

Step 4 – Having Sex

Many IVF treatment clinics may not recommend this, we certainly recommend. In many cases when the IVF journey begins, sex goes out the window. But sex is a feel-good factor for parents. It can help in relieving stress amongst other things.

Step 5 – Things the Women Should Do

This step is focusing more on what the ladies should do and that is taking a good quality multi-vitamin. For the best results, a vitamin that contains all the following is best: Vitamins, A, B, C complex, and E, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, and finally Co-enzyme Q10. Furthermore having pills or foods with high amounts of Folic acid will help in preventing neural tube defects.

Step 6 – Plan For The Wait

After your transfer, you are spending a lot of time waiting. Two weeks of waiting for the implantation to happen in fact. In this particular step it’s important to plan, but also approach this two week period in a different light.

Medically speaking, it doesn’t make a difference how you feel during those two weeks, stressed or positive. But common sense would say that stress certainly doesn’t help things at all. So do yourself a favor and plan out the next two weeks and make the best of them by joining some relaxed hobby like knitting or painting or pottery making.

Step 7 – Things The Men Should Do

For men it’s pretty simple, stay cool. Things like hot baths, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, and long distant cycling have all been linked to lowering sperm quality. So refrain from this. Furthermore, men should be drinking at least 2 liters of water a day. Dehydration is a known culprit for dampening sperm quality.

As for vitamins, ideally speak to a qualified nutritionals about an ideal multi-vitamin to take. Also make sure that if you’re on medication, you check with your doctor first before taking any multi-vitamins.

Step 8 – Exercise

The ideal body mass index for a woman should be between 20 and 25. Anything higher than that will have an effect on hormone levels. Also note that when you start the IVF cycle you want to avoid strenuous exercises such as Pilates and pushups..

Step 9 – Talking To One Another

Guys sometimes have difficulties conveying their feelings at times, but they can feel how much you feel as well. During this step you want to make sure you spend time talking about this. For men, a lot of times it takes men to process everything that’s going on and that’s alright. The idea here is to let them be and talk it out later.

This is simply how guys are by nature so don’t think of it as them being uncaring or distant. They care. Deeply.

Step 10 – Avoid Smoking & Alcohol

The last step is a given, but it’s still an important one to note as well. Any kind of smoking at all can put a damper on the quality of both sperms and eggs. Furthermore drinking in excess can lead to lower quality sperm as well. Studies have shown lower pregnancy rates in couples when the man drinks over 10 units per week.

How to Know if You are Infertile

Infertility is a condition that is devastating for couples who figure it out eventually that one of them is infertile. As for the reasons of infertility they can be numerous. For women, generally, infertility issues only increase with age.

But the only way to find out for certain is by visiting a Infertility treatment center even if you have not tried actively for fertility so far.

That being said, there are some common signs and symptoms out of simply aging that you can do at home to check.

Lack Or Painful Periods

For women in particular periods are part of living when not pregnant. The average woman’s cycle overall is 28 days. Some times it’s longer, but concern rises when a woman is unable to tell when her next period might arrive. Furthermore when they do arrive if they experience any kind of pain like cramps or even if they haven’t gone through a period in months, that is some cause for concern.

In those kinds of situations you may want to check with one of the infertility specialist Chandigarh clinics.

Pain

For both men and women, pain in lower abdomen is another sign of infertility. When it comes to women, pain tends to stem from the act of sex itself. Many women experience painful sex their entire lives and think that it’s normal, when in reality it’s not. Pain during sex for women could mean a number of things from hormone issues to perhaps issues that can contribute to infertility.

For men, the pain is not actually from sex but more from pain from the testicles. Furthermore any kind of swelling as well in that area could be something that contributes to infertility too.

Again, the best way to be absolutely certain of this is to go to an infertility clinic Chandigarh and conduct some fertility tests to see.

Erections & Ejaculations

The last sign is for the men only and that is problems getting an erection and even ejaculating too. With erections, the ability to get an erection and maintain it stems from his hormone levels. Any sign of reduction in hormone levels could be a sign he is having fertility issues.

Conclusion

Infertility is a troubling thing and there is a moderate chance of it coming up. Overall, female infertility is to blame 40% of the time while for men it ranges to 30 to 40. Combining the two, fertility issues come up around 20 to 30% of the time.

But not all hope is lost if you are diagnosed with infertility or you are worried you are infertile. With the medical field continuing to grow and make advancements there are other ways to conceive now more than every before. Take some time to check in with a Infertility specialist Chandigarh clinic and discuss your options.

Source: https://www.ivfchandigarh.com/all-blogs/how-to-know-if-you-are-infertile/

Role Of A Gynecologist When Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a mass that begins in the female organ that produce the eggs – the ovaries. The ovaries have many kinds of cells, all which can develop into cancer. Most tumors are non-cancerous and don’t spread beyond the ovary, meaning they can be treated easily by surgically removing the whole ovary or part of the ovary with the tumor. For cancerous ovarian tumors, they can spread easily to other parts of the body, leading to death. Ovarian cancer is seventh among cancer deaths in women, with nearly 300,000 cases every year.

Tests for Ovarian Cancer-

Physical exam

Consultation with a specialist

Imaging tests

Ultrasound

Computed tomography (CT) scans

Barium enema x-ray

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans

Chest x-ray

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan