The book considers signaling events from the zygote embryo through to the blastocyst with relevant data from embryonic stem (ES) cells, including dialogue with the extracellular environment and with the maternal tract during the implantation process. Application of the knowledge described to improve the success of human and animal assisted conception is considered where appropriate, but the focus is largely on fundamental rather than applied cell/molecular biology, as this is the area that has historically been neglected. While the general features of metabolism during preimplantation development are well established, especially in terms of nutrient requirements, uptake and fate, remarkably little is known about early embryo signaling events, intracellular or intercellular, between individual embryos in vitro or with the female reproductive tract in vivo. This contrasts with the wealth of information on cell signaling in somatic cells and tissues, as a glance at any textbook of biochemistry illustrates. This lack of information is such that our understanding of the molecular cell biology of early embryos -- a prerequisite to defining the mechanisms which regulate development at this critical stage of the life cycle -- is seriously incomplete. This volume is the first to address this issue by describing the current state of knowledge on cell signaling during mammalian early embryo development and highlighting priority areas for research.

The book Fertility SOS by Daminda Senekal-Griessel is for anyone who may be frustrated, at a loss and feeling unsure if having children is a realistic option. If you desire to start a family, but experience unexplained infertility, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), recurrent miscarriages, secondary infertility, or male factor infertility, then this book will give you a unique insight into understanding why this may be happening and how to solve it.

Infertility is not uncommon nowadays, with up to 20% of couples having difficulty conceiving. Male infertility is at an all-time high, with a 35 to 50 percent share of overall cases. Over-the-counter drugs, chronic medications, inadvertent exposure to dangerous pollutants, epigenetics, blood types and nutrition deficiencies, are some of the causes of infertility. Infertility also has significant negative social consequences for women who face social humiliation, mental anguish, sadness, anxiety, and low self-esteem because of their infertility. As a result, many of these women will go on to develop mental health problems. Increasing maternal age is linked to a higher incidence of miscarriage, which is assumed to be caused by low egg quality, which leads to chromosomal (genetic) abnormalities. In certain cases, the mother or father may have a minor genetic abnormality, but the baby may be more seriously damaged, resulting in miscarriage.

Assisted reproduction like IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) for example continues to remain inaccessible and unaffordable for most couples, especially in the current economic conditions we experience. Thus, people are increasingly turning towards more affordable, natural yet effective therapeutic assistance. It all starts with understanding your own health, what factors may be affecting your ability to conceive, and taking the appropriate steps to ensure a successful pregnancy. Following the guidance provided, will result in optimum fertility, fertilisation and optimal preparation of the uterus for implantation.

Not only do genes play a large role, but some medications can cause infertility and increase the risk of miscarriage. Couples will learn how to increase the health of eggs and sperm, and understand other variables such blood types, PH levels, mucous, hidden PCOS, and many other factors, influencing chances of procreating. Male infertility is also on the rise, so it is important to consider both partners potential influencing factors.

In addition to the book, FertilitySOS is launching Fertility Health Coaching sessions to offer guidance to couples struggling with infertility. By making use of the fertility coaching sessions, couples will achieve their goal to get their bodies into optimal reproductive health, with a tailored personal plan. The Fertility Health coach will uncover the possible root causes of individual cases of infertility.All sessions are available online www.fertilitysos.com

This book presents the contemporary history and dynamics of Mexican midwifery - professional, (post)modern or autonomous, traditional and Indigenous - as profoundly political and embedded in differing societal stratifications. By situated politics, the authors refer to various networks, spaces and territories, which are also constructed by the midwives. By politically situated, the authors refer to various intersections, unsettled relations and contexts in which Mexican midwives are positioned. Examining Mexican midwiferies in depth, the volume sharpens the focus on the worlds in which midwives are profoundly immersed as agents in generating and participating in movements, alliances, health professions, communities, homes, territories and knowledges. The chapters provide a complex panorama of midwives in Mexico with an array of insights into their professional and political autonomy, (post)coloniality, body-territoriality, the challenges of defining midwifery, and above all, into the ways in which contemporary Mexican midwiferies relate to a complex set of human rights. The book will be of interest to a range of scholars from anthropology, sociology, politics, global health, gender studies, development studies, and Latin American studies, as well as to midwives and other professionals involved in childbirth policy and practice.

Embryology at a Glance is a highly illustrated and innovative introduction to key embryological concepts, with concise, memorable descriptions of major embryological developments. This new edition covers the basic principles of human development, from mitosis and meiosis, before exploring the primary formation of each body system, including the development of the musculoskeletal, circulatory, digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems during the foetal and neonatal periods. Key features include: New chapters on cell signalling genes, stem cells, and antenatal screening for common congenital and genetic defects Full colour photographs and illustrations Links to clinical practice highlighted throughout Timelines of each developmental stage MCQs and EMQs for revision and review A companion website at www.ataglanceseries.com/embryology featuring 15 brand new animations, and podcasts to help clearly explain the processes that occur during development. An additional instructor resource contains an image bank of all the figures from the book to aid teaching this fascinating area Embryology at a Glance provides the perfect alternative to the overwhelming detail seen in conventional embryology texts. It provides just the right level of detail on embryology and congenital abnormalities for all medical students and health professionals to develop a thorough understanding of human development and its implications for clinical practice.

This book brings together the most up-to-date information about the physiology of progestogens. Addressing the bidirectional communication between hormones, fertility, tumors, and autoimmunity, it provides the basic science and clinical perspectives of progestogens which have not been previously available in one volume. In addition to estrogens, androgens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, progestogens are a major class of steroid hormone. While present in certain phases of estrous and menstrual cycles, progestogens are named for their function in maintaining pregnancy. This book is essentially practical in orientation, addressing the specific issues that confront the practitioner, and provides information to Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Reproductive endocrinologists, as well as Gynecological Oncologists and Rheumatologists. Contributions are from an international team of experts in the field, now completely updated in this new edition with new developments in primary dysmenorrhea and contraception.

Oncofertility is a specialty that bridges the disciplines of reproductive endocrinology and infertility and oncology, with the goal of expanding the reproductive options of cancer patients. Given fertility risks associated with specific cancer treatments, as well as the improved long-term survival made possible by these therapies, there has been growing interest in expanding reproductive options for cancer patients. Indeed, both cancer survivors and the medical community have acknowledged the importance of patient counseling and the pursuit of fertility preservation options prior to starting cancer treatment. Oncofertility Medical Practice: Clinical Issues and Implementation is the third in a series of timely and indispensable books on fertility preservation for cancer patients-the first one focused on advances in basic science research and the second one offered ethical, legal, and social perspectives on the theme. This book elucidates the latest practices and emerging treatments in oncofertility and provides necessary information on the successes, risks, and limitations of fertility preserving technologies. Authoritative and insightful, written by an impressive multi-disciplinary cadre of specialists, this book is a valuable up-to-date resource for all those practicing in this demanding field. "This excellent text is an invaluable resource and a "must read" for clinicians and researchers interested in Oncofertility. The editors and authors need to be congratulated for their fine work." Roger A. Lobo, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University and Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine

With the rigor of a dedicated scholar and the passion of a committed activist, Nancy Lublin offers a fresh perspective on the ethical dimensions of providing and using reproductive technologies, including contraception, assisted conception, and antenatal and childbirth interventions. Combining feminist philosophy and legal theory, Lublin considers these issues under a single category that she calls 'technological intervention in the womb.' She addresses the positions of technophiles (who advocate acceptance of technological intervention in the womb as a source of liberation), technophobic feminists (who reject artificial invasions as anti-natural and anti-women), and other feminists who have argued that technological intervention in the womb should be legal and available to women because freedom of choice should be gender-neutral. Lublin identifies core principles that are common to a kaleidoscope of feminist theories, and she argues that a materialist feminism provides the most effective framework for establishing public policy and creating social change in the name of gender justice.

In this book, leading academics and practitioners in the field of reproductive health address topics such as contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and prenatal health, sexuality and reproductive rights by examining a number of critical issues in these areas. The authors describe new research, identify gaps and priorities in policy and practice, and illustrate innovative solutions. The book further addresses such current imperatives as understanding the social meanings of emergency contraception, measuring gender-based violence, improving reproductive health governance, strengthening health systems and services, and redressing institutional barriers. The book also assesses how reproductive health programs can be reconfigured to new challenges such as those posed by climate change, vulnerable youth in fragile states, and risks from new infertility treatments. Using a rich and varied set of cases, a broad public health and social science perspective, and novel methodological approaches, this book questions common assumptions, illustrates effective solutions and sets out research, policy, and programmatic agendas for the present and future. This is a comprehensive volume which provides a valuable resource to researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers and students, as well as anyone studying or advocating for reproductive health.

Thoroughly examining the popular and expanding field of reproductive toxicology, this newly revised and expanded Third Edition provides the latest, cutting-edge scientific developments in this constantly evolving discipline. Reproductive Toxicologya (TM)s contributors are experienced regulatory agency and Clinical Research Organization representatives who currently utilize the new techniques discussed in the text and continue to revolutionize reproductive toxicology research.

This ground-breaking resource includes:

• New and important critical mechanistic topics such as epigenetics and omics
• The first significant compilation of epigenetic mechanisms
• An in-depth analysis of the role of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomicsin human reproduction
• New guidelines with respect to the latest research applications in the field

The transnational industry surrounding assisted reproductive technology and regenerative medicine is based on the unacknowledged labour of gamete providers, surrogates and research subjects, and benefits from low labour costs in 'enabling' sectors such as logistics and transport. This finding calls for a comprehensive analysis of how the contemporary intersection of neoliberal capitalism and the life sciences - in short, the bioeconomy - capitalises on the body and its (re)productive capacities. The Reproductive Body at Work uptakes this challenge as it explores the relations between value production, labour and the body in one particular realm of the global bioeconomy: the South African bioeconomy of 'egg donation'. It highlights different forms and dimensions of unacknowledged or precarious human labour that are constitutive for the procurement, brokering and circulation of oocytes as valuable resources. The analysis illustrates that the respective organisation of value and labour renegotiate what 'the' (re)productive body can do, which status and roles it is ascribed, which cultural and economic values it signifies and how it is experienced and enacted within a matrix of intersectional power relations. A theoretically profound contribution to the interdisciplinary debate on 'New materialism', The Reproductive Body at Work will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as gender studies, medical anthropology, cultural studies, sociology, political economy and science and technology studies.

A much-needed overview of the available information now accumulating to indicate that assisted reproductive technologies are generally safe for both babies and mothers. However, the literature abounds with reports of a higher risk of obstetric and perinatal complications; regarding the long term outcomes for both women and children, the data are still scarce. The chapters summarized in this book review the current knowledge on long term safety of assisted reproduction and indicate the need for continued research to cover the lack of data in some specific patient groups and for recently developed treatments that only have a short period of follow-up.

It is not okay to call something a miracle without even trying to understand it. This is human developmental biology (human embryology, in terms of cells and molecules) for everyone curious enough to see it through, from the perspective of the business of becoming human - as individuals and as species; making new humans; how it happens (cells do it, ALL of it); and common variations of the process.It cannot be made quite simple and be kept quite true, but we will move as far toward simple as we can without losing touch with sound evidence. Variations from the "normal" version of the process, particularly malformations and twinning and chimerism, figure prominently in the story because there is no better way to learn about the usual than to study the unusual and see what differences in the endings these observable differences at the beginnings can make.In this book, when technical terminology is the only way, or the best way, to say what needs to be said, it is defined and explained - making the words a worthwhile part of what is here to be learned.This book defines its own new field. We cannot claim to understand how anything [human] works [as human], with no effort at understanding the emergence of its form and functions. Old and new unanswered questions are waiting to be dug out from under old unquestioned answers about how becoming human unfolds. We will also address some popular and weighty, but deeply empty assertions about the circumstances and mechanisms of our beginnings and our ceaseless becoming. We will find fundamental questions from 'the humanities' unanswerable except from biology. Human developmental biology is a foundational discipline within the humanities.

Population growth and global health disparities for many reproductive and perinatal outcomes are but a few of the pressing issues facing public health today. Despite growing interest in the field, formal training in reproductive and perinatal epidemiology remains limited, with few available textbooks aimed at providing an overview of the field. In response to this need, faculty from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) and CIHR's Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH) developed an intensive, competitive, Summer Institute in Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology. The curriculum of this Summer Institute has been developed into a textbook to provide students and researchers with a working knowledge of the substantive and methodologic issues underlying reproductive and perinatal epidemiology.
Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology offers a core curriculum that addresses the epidemiology of major reproductive and perinatal outcomes. From human fecundity to birth and neonatal outcomes, the subject is approached from as international a perspective as possible, and the unique methodologic issues underlying each outcome are discussed. Developed by leading researchers in collaboration with their students in response to their needs and concerns, this is the definitive textbook on the subject.

Enhancing Fertility through Functional Medicine: Using Nutrigenomics to Solve 'Unexplained' Infertility provides cutting-edge information and solutions to help support the worldwide rise of fertility challenges. It addresses common, yet not commonly known, root-causes of oxidative stress that are at the heart of reproductive issues (and all chronic health issues). These solutions can help enhance the outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) or support women to avoid them altogether. Enhancing Fertility through Functional Medicine: Using Nutrigenomics to Solve 'Unexplained' Infertility will show you how to improve cell health (including egg and sperm), lower inflammation, balance nervous system functioning, and optimize genetic expression, allowing the body to return to its naturally fertile state. It details information on numerous root causes of health-derailing inflammation and oxidative stress, while the appendices discuss the genetic and biochemical pathways related to these topics. Each chapter also provides easy "Action Steps" that can be implemented immediately. Chapter topics include iron dysregulation; oxalates; mold/mycotoxins; phase 2 liver detoxification pathways; fat utilization; introductory information on genetics, epigenetics, and nutrigenomics; everything one needs to know about histamine intolerance; and how these factors adversely affect metabolic and reproductive functions. Enhancing Fertility through Functional Medicine: Using Nutrigenomics to Solve 'Unexplained' Infertility is the handbook for people wanting to achieve and sustain a healthy pregnancy. It highlights lesser-known causes of fertility challenges the reader can learn how to investigate. This book also serves as a reference guide for practitioners, providing them with additional tools to add to their repertoires when other protocols have not been effective. It may also provide clarity as to why other protocols did not work, and will enable the practitioner to custom-tailor protocols for each patient.

Whilst assisted reproduction techniques (ART) have become increasingly successful and largely standardized, there is still only a partial understanding of what constitutes a 'true' embryo environment. Replicating the varying physiological conditions of the in-vivo environment that the embryo travels through in the in-vitro culture is still a major challenge in ART. This practical volume details how to organize and operate an IVF laboratory in order to mimic these conditions for successful embryo culture. Environments and equipment that are essential for running safe and efficient facilities such as maintaining good air quality and hygiene protocols, and utilizing an effective layout are covered in detail. Other chapters discuss the different consumables needed, optimal handling techniques and parameter monitoring systems, as well as recent advances in the area including artificial intelligence and automation. This is an indispensable guide to understanding the background science of culturing embryos, crucial to successful outcomes in ART.

This book examines the United States as a destination for international consumers of assisted fertility services, including egg donation, surrogacy, and sex selection. Based on interviews conducted with fertility industry insiders who market their services to an international clientele in three of the largest American hubs of the global fertility marketplace - New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco - and focusing on the providers rather than the consumers of assisted fertility services, the book shines a light on how professional ethics and norms, in addition to personal moralities, shape the practice of reproductive tourism.

Unlike other areas of medicine where statistics are meticulously kept by governments and global organizations, there are no accurate data to describe the number of the world's inhabitants who are overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Despite this knowledge deficit, it should come as no surprise to readers that the medical community is facing an epidemic. Obesity is present in many of the developed countries and can also be observed in some urban areas of developing nations. The cause of this epidemic, simply stated, is overeating, but the overriding concern is more complex. Social factors, such as growing affluence since the 1950s, increasing reliance on pre-prepared meals, and the popularity of fast foods and sweetened drinks, have all contributed to the problem. Without doubt, the obesity epidemic has had adverse effects on both men and women, but in the case of women, some of its worse complications occur with those who are severely obese and pregnant. Obviously, this combination has been seen in the past, but it has increased so dramatically in its frequency that research has yet to catch up. Studies may discuss one or another aspect of caring for the obese pregnant patient, but until now, there has been no attempt to draw all such material together to try and present a comprehensive appraisal of the problem. Written by international experts, this practical guide draws on evidence-based material and is an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals dealing with obese pregnant women on a day-to-day basis.

This book explores the cultural history of embryology in Tibet, in culture, religion, art and literature, and what this reveals about its medicine and religion. Filling a significant gap in the literature this is the first in-depth exploration of Tibetan medical history in the English language. It reveals the prevalence of descriptions of the development of the human body - from conception to birth - found in all forms of Tibetan religious literature, as well as in medical texts and in art. By analysing stories of embryology, Frances Garrett explores questions of cultural transmission and adaptation: How did Tibetan writers adapt ideas inherited from India and China for their own purposes? What original views did they develop on the body, on gender, on creation, and on life itself? The transformations of embryological narratives over several centuries illuminate key turning points in Tibetan medical history, and its relationship with religious doctrine and practice. Embryology was a site for both religious and medical theorists to contemplate profound questions of being and becoming, where topics such as pharmacology and nosology were left to shape secular medicine. The author argues that, in terms of religion, stories of human development comment on embodiment, gender, socio-political hierarchy, religious ontology, and spiritual progress. Through the lens of embryology, this book examines how these concerns shift as Tibetan history moves through the formative 'renaissance' period of the twelfth through to the seventeenth centuries.

In this fascinating book, Jacques Balthazart presents a simple description of the biological mechanisms that are involved in the determination of sexual orientation in animals and also presumably in humans. Using scientific studies published over the last few decades, he argues that sexual orientation, both homosexual and heterosexual, is under the control of embryonic endocrine and genetic phenomena in which there is little room for individual choice. The author begins with animal studies of the hormonal and neural mechanisms that control the so-called instinctive behaviors and analyzes how this animal work may potentially apply to humans. The book does not focus exclusively on homosexuality, however. Instead, the book acts as a broader guide to the biological basis of sexual orientation, and also discusses important gender differences that may influence sexual orientation. While firmly grounded in the scientific literature, this text is developed for a broader audience and will be of interest to psychologists, researchers, students, and anyone interested in the biological factors that determine our sexuality.

Written by the authors of the renowned embryology textbooks The Developing Human and Before We Are Born, Concise Clinical Embryology: An Integrated, Case-Based Approach offers essential, high-yield information and high-quality clinical cases to illustrate key principles of embryology and their relevance to everyday practice. Ideally tailored to the needs of today's medical students and medical courses, this concise text clearly explains how embryology relates to other medical disciplines and its importance in safe, effective clinical practice. Abundant illustrations throughout help you grasp highly visual concepts quickly and easily. Provides easily digestible, clinically oriented coverage of human development, establishing key principles in a week-by-week, stage-by-stage approach, before moving on to fetal organ development by body system. Includes clinical cases and follow-up questions in each chapter that help relate key principles to everyday practice, aid in problem-based learning, and offer review for exam preparation. Covers the latest advances in embryology, including normal and abnormal embryogenesis, causes of birth defects, and the role of genes in human development. Contains superb illustrations from cover to cover, including diagnostic images, full color figures, histology, and more. Summarizes molecular biology highlights throughout the text. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access 18 3D animations with expert commentary, plus all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

Why are boxers actually better than briefs? How can hamsters help determine what's wrong with my sperm? My wife's already moody enough - why am I injecting her with even more hormones? Do I have to fill the whole cup at the fertility clinic? If you're a man going through fertility treatments with your significant other, these might be just a few of the questions you've faced. And, much to your dismay, you've realised the answers are a lot harder to find than you'd like. Until now. "How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup" is the man's guide to anything and everything related to infertility. But it's not just the same old boring nuts and bolts (no pun intended). Author Greg Wolfe, who went through four cycles of IVF on his journey to fatherhood, lays it all out with side-splitting humor. From understanding a woman's cycle, to 'porn etiquette' at the clinic, to detailed instructions on administering hormone shots, this book has everything a man needs to know to get the job done. For those men tired of searching the bookshelves for a volume that speaks to their experiences in the wild world of infertility (and for those women whose men don't quite get it), there's no need to look further. "How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup" covers the whole gamut of information for couples dealing with infertility in a fresh, engaging way any man can appreciate.

Relevant to students, academics and practitioners across the globe, this original volume highlights contemporary issues associated with assisted reproduction and embryology and critically analyzes the law surrounding human reproduction in the light of case law and technological developments since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFE Act) Act was passed in 1990. Tackling issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, the authors identify and evaluate areas that have provoked intense public and academic debate as well as those where further or renewed regulation is needed. Focusing primarily on the legal and ethical issues involved in regulating this area in the UK, which is at the forefront of developing legislation in this area, this book has international relevance as many countries have used the UK as a model for their own legislation. This text is suitable for a broad range of readers, including legal academics, law students and practitioners interested in the areas of medical/healthcare law and ethics, bioethics and moral philosophy, family law, sociology and reproductive medicine and genetics.

The use of IVM in assisted reproductive technology continues to increase around the world. The major benefit of IVM is that significant numbers of oocytes can be collected from ovaries without recourse to ovarian stimulation. This reduces the costs, time, and risks associated with conventional IVF. Although initially limited to women with polycystic ovary syndrome who were at higher risk of problems following ovarian stimulation, IVM is increasingly used in women with normal ovulatory menstrual cycles. This authoritative text covers the current scientific knowledge of oocyte development and the understanding behind the techniques involved in the clinical application of IVM in assisted reproductive technologies.
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This comprehensive overview of the known literature concerning the physical and psychosocial health of children conceived by ART brings together an international panel of experts in fertility medicine, epidemiology, medical genetics, obstetrics, twin research, psychosocial development and pediatrics. Each chapter gives a concise, readable commentary on the key areas of established knowledge. The book will prove an essential component for clinic library for fertility practitioners throughout the world. It will be useful for counselling families about known risks, and for placing in context what is generally a positive literature. Knowledge in this area has been restricted by the studies performed; however, there is a body of research that is hard for the busy fertility practitioner, counsellor, fertility nurse, or obstetrician to bring together and synthesize for their clients. The book is edited by Dr Alastair Sutcliffe - one of the world experts in this field. This is a revised and expanded edition of IVF Children - The First Generation. It is hoped that this will be a continuing project, in which periodic further updates will be published to maintain the currency of quality information needed to inform practitioners of what is a rapidly changing field.

This book is a synopsis of the key facts and concepts of human development. It is intended for students who are taking a human embryology course. The book includes the underlying mechanisms involved in clinically important congenital anomalies that will prove useful to medical and nursing.