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Health Information - 'Being Fit for Treatment'

We have gone to great lengths to provide the best environment for your eggs, sperm and embryos when in the laboratory but probably the most important investment towards their quality can be made by yourselves as a number of factors have been shown to reduce the potential of eggs and sperm.

Probably the most important factor is smoking. Products from smoking are found in the fluid bathing the eggs as they grow and mature in the ovary, and they have been shown to reduce the fertilization and development potential, resulting in lower pregnancy rates. Smoking also reduces the ability of sperm to function normally.
We appreciate how difficult and stressful trying to stop smoking can be, but nevertheless, it is important that both of you should try to cut down on smoking as much as possible. The effects are quite long lasting so the efforts must start some time before undergoing treatment.

Excess alcohol also affects sperm function, and again, whilst stopping completely probably isn’t beneficial, if you drink more than 7 units a week, reducing your alcohol intake to below this will help. Sperm are made over a prolonged period, so the modification of lifestyle must be considered as a long term investment.

Excessive body weight also has a negative impact on the outcome of treatment:

• increased amount of drugs you need during treatment
• increased miscarriage rate
• increased risks to the mother during pregnancy (DVT, high blood pressure)
• increased risk of the baby having spina bifida
• increased risk of the baby having a heart problem

Again there are some things you can do to improve outcomes. Moderate exercise can improve the activity of important enzymes, which influence many of the body's functions including reproduction.
Walking for one hour each day (in total) will have the effect of improving these enzyme activities. This can be done surprisingly easily if you build it into your routine lifestyle. You may even lose some of that excess weight, and this advice should be followed through pregnancy also.

Folic acid. Folic acid is very important for women who are thinking about having a baby, because it can help reduce the risk of your baby developing a neural tube defect (like spina bifida) if taken before becoming pregnant and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a major group of birth defects that occur when the brain, spinal cord or the covering of these organs has not developed properly. Spina bifida is the most common type of NTD in Scotland and the effects vary enormously from almost no symptoms at all to varying degrees of paralysis of the lower limbs (with poor sensation and poor bowel and bladder control) and hydrocephalus.

Having a baby with a NTD is not dependent on your age but there is a higher risk if you have had a previous baby with a NTD or you, yourself, have a NTD. A family history of NTD also increases the chance of your baby having one. Women with diabetes or on particular anti-epilepsy medications are also at greater risk of having a baby with a NTD.

You need to take one 400 micrograms (400 µg) folic acid supplement every day in addition to what you get from your diet. Folic acid can be bought in chemists and in health food stores.

If you have diabetes or epilepsy or have had a baby with a NTD you should take 5mg a day (i.e. 8 times the usual dose).

Start taking folic acid today and everyday. Ideally, for maximum benefit, it is important to take folic acid for at least two months before you become pregnant and it should be continued until 12 weeks gestation.

Diet
There is much discussion about the effects of diet upon the outcome of fertility treatment, and probably none of it is backed up by scientific studies. Some foodstuffs have been tested in the realm of both male and female fertility - but to little indication of benefit. However, there are theoretical reasons why some foods should be better for fertility treatment. Foods with anti-oxidant properties, like fruit and vegetables, are likely to be of benefit to eggs and sperm, as oxidative stress can be harmful. It is therefore common sense to eat a wide variety of ‘healthy’ foods as part of your lifestyle connected to fertility.

Our health care advice for your treatment:

• Folic acid 400µg daily
• Increase exercise
• Cut down or stop smoking
• Cut down on alcohol
• Eat fruit and vegetables regularly