IVF and Preterm Birth

I found WIRF news (Issue 04 Dec 2012) on my coffee table after breakfast and decided to read it. My husband said he picked it up when we visited the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women on 13 February 2013.

King Edward Memorial Hospital
374 Bagot Road
Subiaco, WA 6008
Web: http://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/

Women and Infants Research Foundation
Carson House
King Edward Memorial Hospital
374 Bagot Road
Subiaco, WA 6008
Tel: 08-9340 1437
Fax: 08-9340 1642
Email: info@wirf.com.au
Web: www.wirf.com.au
Facebook: Women-and-Infants-Research-Foundation

IVF

The front page of this research brochure is interesting - What are the long-term consequences of IVF? It says here that in Australia, 1 in 25 children is born via IVF. This to me is very high. Why? What are the reasons for Australians to decide on IVF?

IVF was invented not too long ago. Here it says, the IVF Cohort Study will study the long-term effects of IVF. Data for this comes from the Raine Study cohort, which is one of the largest and most successful longitudinal pregnancy cohorts in the world. It is also recognised to be representative of the WA (Western Australia) population. What are the details of the Raine Study Cohort?

The Raine Study Cohort
Start date: 23 years ago, in 1989
Sample size, n = 2900 pregnant women
Time of recruitment of subjects: at 18 weeks pregnancy
Pregnancy outcome: 2968 children were born
Cohort studies: 10
Aim: To study growth and development (metabolic, respiratory, psychological, immunological, and reproductive) of children born via IVF treatment.

PRETERM

The preterm birth is due to infection of the uterus. Past antibiotic treatment have failed to work. Now there is a new antibiotic that is effective against a type of bacteria called the Ureaplasma. They use discarded human placenta for research. I'm not too sure whether they mean the Klebsiella  or other bacteria. I know Klebsiella is difficult to get rid off.

I am aware that non Muslims do not wash clean their private areas after they pee but only wipe dry with tissue/roll. I wonder whether this is a cause of possible uterine infection in pregnant mothers. I don't know if the doctors and hospitals can advise their patients to wash their private parts with soap and water and then dry down with tissue/roll, in order to reduce possible uterine infection. I don't know whether Muslim mothers have a problem of this nature (uterine infections) or have preterms.

The back page of the brochure shows 2 pictures of preterm babies - one with small foot (smaller than the palm) and another with a shrinkled face. It seems to me that there must be a reason or a causative factor for these preterm and small babies to look the way they do. I wonder if it is the alcoholic beverages (wines and beers) and cigarettes that are also playing a role in these unusual features seen in preterms.

In the Muslim context, the pregnant mothers don't consume any alcoholic beverages nor smoke. They would therefore form the best Control group. Whether they do have preterm, I would say yes, but maybe not due to alcohol or smoke. My guess is they may consume traditional mixtures or potions which may have a direct effect on embryology and development, and the final features of the babies.

I am more concerned about the Down Syndrome babies born to Malay mothers in Kelantan and overall in Malaysia. There are so many of these Down's babies today in Kelantan - it seems like every family has a Down's child. I wonder what is the actual cause in the Malay society.