98 results match your criteria: "Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center[Affiliation]"

Risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in electively induced or expectantly managed full-term IVF pregnancies.

Reprod Biomed Online

August 2024

Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Research Question: Are there differences in the rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among IVF patients who underwent induction of labour at 39 weeks compared with those who were managed expectantly?

Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of 1176 low-risk singleton pregnancies conceived via IVF with no contraindications to vaginal delivery. Two groups were constructed: elective induction of labour from 39 weeks 0 days to 39 weeks 6 days (n = 234); and expectant management (n = 942). The main outcome measure was the incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

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Background: Although some studies have investigated the relationships between beverage intake and reproductive health these have generated conflicting results.

Objectives: To evaluate the associations between men's beverage intake and semen quality parameters and couple outcomes of medically assisted reproduction.

Material And Methods: The relationship between preconception beverage intake and semen quality was evaluated in 896 semen samples from 343 men.

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A new case of dementia is diagnosed every 3 s. Beyond age, risk prediction of dementia is challenging. There is growing evidence of underlying processes that connect aging across organ systems and may provide insight for early detection, and there is a need to identify early biomarkers at an age when action can be taken to mitigate cognitive decline.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome risk among women attending a fertility clinic.

Sci Total Environ

November 2024

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Previous studies reported that exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), largely in higher exposed populations, were associated with elevated risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, studies evaluating PCOS risk in populations with lower background exposures to PFAS are limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and PCOS risk among women attending a U.

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Article Synopsis
  • Air pollution can cause brain changes and developmental issues, but its link to cerebral palsy (CP), a major childhood motor disability, needs more research, especially regarding prenatal exposure.
  • * A study in Ontario analyzed data from over 1.5 million births to assess whether mothers exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter and other pollutants during pregnancy had children more likely to develop CP.
  • * Results showed an increased risk of CP with higher pollution levels, particularly for male infants, indicating that even small increases in air pollution can affect neurodevelopment.
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Objective: To determine whether endometrial thickness (EMT) differs between i) clomiphene citrate (CC) and gonadotropin (Gn) utilizing patients as their own controls, and ii) patients who conceived with CC and those who did not. Furthermore, to investigate the association between late-follicular EMT and pregnancy outcomes, in CC and Gn cycles.

Methods: Retrospective study.

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Trophectoderm grade as a predictor of beta human-chorionic gonadotropin rise in early pregnancy.

J Assist Reprod Genet

September 2024

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Division of Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Purpose: To evaluate the association, if any, between the grade of the trophectoderm (TE) and the rate at which β-human-chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) rises in early pregnancy.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study including 1116 singleton clinical pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization with single day 5 blastocyst transfer at an academic fertility center. TE quality was assessed by trained embryologists employing standard criteria.

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Previous studies have examined the predictors of PFAS concentrations among pregnant women and children. However, no study has explored the predictors of preconception PFAS concentrations among couples in the United States. This study included 572 females and 279 males (249 couples) who attended a U.

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Apolipoprotein B-100 (APOB) is a component of fat- and cholesterol-transporting molecules in the bloodstream. It is the main lipoprotein in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and has been implicated in conditions that end healthspan (the interval between birth and onset of chronic disease). However, APOB's direct relationship with healthspan remains uncertain.

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Association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and thyroid function biomarkers among females attending a fertility clinic.

Environ Pollut

April 2024

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure was associated with changes in thyroid function in pregnant mothers and the general population. Limited such evidence exists in other susceptible populations such as females with fertility problems. This cross-sectional study included 287 females seeking medically assisted reproduction at a fertility clinic in Massachusetts, United States, between 2005 and 2019.

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Prenatal per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is associated with adverse birth outcomes. There is an absence of evidence on the relationship between maternal and paternal preconception PFAS exposure and birth outcomes. This study included 312 mothers and 145 fathers with a singleton live birth from a preconception cohort of subfertile couples seeking fertility treatment at a U.

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Objective: To evaluate the effect of follicular phase length (FPL) on pregnancy outcomes and endometrial thickness (ET) among women with unexplained infertility undergoing ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination (OS-IUI) with clomiphene citrate, letrozole, or gonadotropins.

Design: Cohort analysis of the Reproductive Medicine Network's Assessment of Multiple Intrauterine Gestations from Ovarian Stimulation randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Multicenter randomized controlled trial.

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Objective: This study is to discover hormone pathways active in early cleaving human embryos.

Methods: A list of 152 hormones and receptors were compiled to query the microarray database of mRNAs in 8-cell human embryos, two lines of human embryonic stem cells plus human fibroblasts before and after induced pluripotency.

Results: Over half of the 152 hormones and receptors were silent on the arrays of all cell types, and more were detected at high or moderate levels on the 8-cell arrays than on the pluripotent cell or fibroblast arrays.

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Importance: Increasing evidence suggests that specific foods and nutrients may improve infertility treatment outcomes in women. However, less is known about the role of dietary patterns.

Objective: To investigate whether women's adherence to a priori-defined dietary patterns promoted for the prevention of chronic conditions is associated with outcomes of infertility treatment.

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The impact of cryopreserved sperm on intrauterine insemination outcomes: is frozen as good as fresh?

Front Reprod Health

May 2023

Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Introduction: Frozen sperm utilization might negatively impact cycle outcomes in animals, implicating cryopreservation-induced sperm damage. However, fertilization and intrauterine insemination (IUI) in human studies are inconclusive.

Methods: This study is a retrospective review of 5,335 IUI [± ovarian stimulation (OS)] cycles from a large academic fertility center.

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Folate concentrations and serum perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in adolescents and adults in the USA (National Health and Nutrition Examination Study 2003-16): an observational study.

Lancet Planet Health

June 2023

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of highly fluorinated aliphatic compounds, which are widely used in commercial applications, including food packaging, textiles, and non-stick cookware. Folate might counteract the effects of environmental chemical exposures. We aimed to explore the relationship between blood folate biomarker concentrations and PFAS concentrations.

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Importance: Prenatal perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to adverse birth outcomes. Previous research showed that higher folate concentrations are associated with lower blood PFAS concentrations in adolescents and adults. Further studies are needed to explore whether prenatal folate status mitigates PFAS-related adverse birth outcomes.

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Artificial intelligence for sperm selection-a systematic review.

Fertil Steril

July 2023

Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Despite the increasing number of assisted reproductive technologies based treatments being performed worldwide, there has been little improvement in fertilization and pregnancy outcomes. Male infertility is a major contributing factor, and sperm evaluation is a crucial step in diagnosis and treatment. However, embryologists face the daunting task of selecting a single sperm from millions in a sample based on various parameters, which can be time-consuming, subjective, and may even cause damage to the sperm, deeming them unusable for fertility treatments.

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Objective: To assess the impact of 2 different sperm preparation methods, density gradient centrifugation and simple wash, on clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles with and without ovulation induction.

Design: Retrospective single-center cohort study.

Setting: Academic fertility center.

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The aetiology behind many female reproductive disorders is poorly studied and incompletely understood despite the prevalence of such conditions and substantial burden they impose on women's lives. In light of evidence demonstrating a higher incidence of trauma exposure in women with many such disorders, we present a set of interlinked working hypotheses proposing relationships between traumatic events and reproductive and mental health that can define a research agenda to better understand reproductive outcomes from a trauma-informed perspective across the lifecourse. Additionally, we note the potential for racism to act as a traumatic experience, highlight the importance of considering the interaction between mental and reproductive health concerns, and propose several neuroendocrinological mechanisms by which traumatic experiences might increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in these domains.

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The impact of anti-Müllerian hormone on endometrial thickness in gonadotropin stimulation/intrauterine insemination cycles: is there an effect on pregnancy outcomes?

J Assist Reprod Genet

April 2023

Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Purpose: To study the association, if any, between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness (ET) in gonadotropin/intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a total of 964 patients undergoing 1926 gonadotropin/IUI cycles at an academic fertility center. Primary outcome measure was the association between serum AMH and measured ET on the day of and the day before human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) ovulation trigger.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure has been associated with reduced antibody levels. Higher red blood cell (RBC) folate was previously associated with lower serum PFAS concentrations in adolescents. This study included 819 adolescents aged 12-19 years who had detectable rubella and measles antibody levels in serum from the U.

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Lifestyle interventions to reduce endocrine-disrupting phthalate and phenol exposures among reproductive age men and women: A review and future steps.

Environ Int

December 2022

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Non-persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including phthalates and phenols, are ubiquitous in both the environment and human body. A growing body of epidemiologic studies have identified concerning links between EDCs and adverse reproductive and developmental health effects. Despite consistent evidence, risk assessments and policy interventions often arrive late.

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Unlabelled: Although parental preconception exposure to some phenols and phthalates have been associated with reduced birthweight, few studies have examined these chemicals as complex mixtures.

Methods: We included 384 mothers and 211 fathers (203 couples) who gave birth to 384 singletons from a prospective cohort of couples seeking fertility evaluation. Urinary concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), parabens, and 11 phthalate metabolites including those of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were examined.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers looked at pregnant women who used special treatments to help them get pregnant to see what increased their chances of having a condition called placenta previa, where the placenta is too low in the uterus.
  • They studied nearly 19,000 pregnancies from 2011 to 2017 and found that older moms, those with endometriosis, and those who received certain fertility treatments were more likely to have placenta previa.
  • On the other hand, women having multiple babies and those with certain hormone issues were less likely to have this condition.
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