Author / lauraarizaa

by lauraarizaa

IVF Treatment Makes Pregnancy Complicated

A Recent Study Believes IVF Is Too Dangerous to be Continued

IVF process in a laboratory. Image courtesy of CNN.

Could pregnancy be any scarier? New research indicates IVF treatments are now correlated to increase the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, and admission to the ICU. As if all those medical terms weren’t frightening and confusing enough, the pregnancy complications often times affect both the mother and baby.

A recent study by the Canadian Medical Journal followed women who underwent invasive infertility treatment versus those with minimally invasive. The results indicated women were a whopping 40% more likely to experience complications from invasive fertility treatment. So, should IVF not be recommended to patients with fertility issues anymore?

Lead author of CMAJ, Natalie Dayan argued otherwise stating that “it is important to remember that the absolute number of women who develop these complications remains quite small, meaning that for most women who cannot conceive naturally, this treatment is a very safe and effective method of becoming pregnant and having a child.” Her statement can be supported as most women who undergo IVF treatment often already have complications.

The study further investigated the maternal morbidity rate with respect to IVF. While the relative risk(RR) has gone down from 2.17 to 1.39, researchers indicate the best way to diminish risk is through preventative care. Before participating in IVF, mothers are encouraged to be at optimal health and only implant one embryo as opposed to several. Fewer embryos mean less risk.

With any invasive treatments comes complications and life-threatening conditions. While IVF is still an option, it seems it’s being met with negative backlash. For some, any chance of having a bundle of joy is worth the risk.

-LA

For more info, check out Natalie Dayan’s “Infertility treatment and risk of severe maternal morbidity: a propensity score–matched cohort study” CMAJ, Volume 191, Issue 5

Link: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/908789#vp_1

by lauraarizaa

A Little About Who I Am

Photo by EA on Pexels.com An image of Colombia over the summer

Hello my name is Laura, I’m a first year student at the University of Florida working towards a health science major on the pre-medical track.   

I’ve always been active in the community, volunteering at the local hospital, planning fundraisers for orphanages, and working as a camp counselor. Throughout these experiences I realized my passion to help others in need, especially children. I hope to one day become a family practitioner or an Obstetrician-gynecologist, and complete research at a University.

My interests include sociology, playing music, traveling, and participating in service organizations. I’ve always had a knack for understanding and talking to children. My ultimate goal in life is to help children. While sociology is slightly different than the rest of my interests, I’ve always been motivated to know why people do the things they do. In addition, I love to travel and volunteer wherever I can. I recently went to Colombia over the summer and tutored children in English.

I’m deeply passionate about research and advancement in the medical community. While the technological aspect of advancement is exciting, so are the changes in patient care. For this blog, I’ll be writing about the changes in the medical community in regard to health care, technology, and doctor-patient relationships.