Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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 Also known as Hughes' syndrome, APS is also a risk factor for recurrent miscarriages. In fact, it's responsible for about 20% of recurrent miscarriages.
MOTTLED SKIN (Livedo Reticularis) warning sign
People with livedo, whether or not they have APS, are at increased risk of recurrent miscarriages. If you have these purple skin patterns and are pregnant or have had a history of miscarriage, mention it to your doctor. |
David Steinman
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 Scientists in Japan said a small sample study published in Human Reproduction indicated a link between recurrent miscarriages and bisphenol-A Such studies could potentially expose the companies or their clients to lawsuits from consumers who may have been harmed by the chemicals. The latest study showed that women with a history of miscarriages were found to have higher levels of BPA in their bodies. The women who had miscarriages were found to have BPA levels on average about three times higher than women who had successfully given birth, according to an online food industry Web site. |
| And in June 2005, bisphenol-A was linked to recurrent miscarriages among young women.21 Scientists in Japan said a small sample study published in Human Reproduction indicated a link between recurrent miscarriages and bisphenol-A Such studies could potentially expose the companies or their clients to lawsuits from consumers who may have been harmed by the chemicals. The latest study showed that women with a history of miscarriages were found to have higher levels of BPA in their bodies. |
| The link between the herbicides and their miscarriages seemed strong, but I remembered how the attorneys for Dow used a line of questioning that made it look like anything could have caused the women's miscarriages. It was humiliating and unfair.
The largest chemical company in the United States, Dow Chemical is a leading producer of pesticides, plastics, hydrocarbons, and other chemicals. Its production processes and practices have poisoned the environment as well as consumers and workers, sometimes with dire consequences for entire communities. |
Devra Davis
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 The people who were brought in to review what had been done changed the way they averaged the rates; they only looked at so-called confirmed miscarriages, when a woman had surgery to remove embryonic remnants. They manipulated the data in one way or another and eventually reported a small increase in miscarriages, and the other problems of reproduction went away."
"What happened to the pharmacist after that?" I asked.
"She lost everything. Her family had owned the pharmacy for several generations. This is an industrial area. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 Women with both primary and secondary miscarriages had higher mercury levels than did women who had never had miscarriages. Another study found that the incidence of luteal insufficiency (low progesterone) was significantly increased in women with ten or more amalgam fillings.63
Based on the scientific studies linking excess mercury with multiple miscarriages and infertility, it is obvious that the effect of mercury on fertility needs to be explored in more depth. |
| In a German study of women who had repeated miscarriages, a direct correlation was found between the load of mercury in the tissues and the number of miscarriages.62 In this study 111 women with repeated miscarriages were examined for heavy metal toxicity as well as detailed hormone (progesterone, estrogen, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormone) and immunological studies (natural killer cells and T-cell subpopulations). |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 It is tempting to accept this except for one thing—the rise in miscarriages only affected male fetuses.
In California, in October and November 2001, there was a 25 percent increase in the rate of male miscarriages. Something— and we don't know what—in the mother's epigenetic or genetic architecture sensed that she was carrying a boy and triggered a miscarriage.
We can speculate why this occurred, but we really don't know the truth. Males are both more demanding physiologically on the mother's body during pregnancy and less likely to survive if malnourished as children. |
David Steinman
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| The latest study showed that women with a history of miscarriages were found to have higher levels of BPA in their bodies. The women who had miscarriages were found to have BPA levels on average about three times higher than women who had successfully given birth, according to an online food industry Web site.22 The scientists concluded that while a high level of bisphenol-A did not in itself predict subsequent miscarriage, exposure to the chemical is associated with recurrent miscarriage. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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| Women with both primary and secondary miscarriages had higher mercury levels than did women who had never had miscarriages. Another study found that the incidence of luteal insufficiency (low progesterone) was significantly increased in women with ten or more amalgam fillings.63
Based on the scientific studies linking excess mercury with multiple miscarriages and infertility, it is obvious that the effect of mercury on fertility needs to be explored in more depth. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
See book keywords and concepts |
| In fact, it's responsible for about 20% of recurrent miscarriages.
MOTTLED SKIN (Livedo Reticularis) warning sign
People with livedo, whether or not they have APS, are at increased risk of recurrent miscarriages. If you have these purple skin patterns and are pregnant or have had a history of miscarriage, mention it to your doctor.
Dark Patches
If you have dark patches on your body rather than your face and they're thicker or more velvety than normal skin, it may signal a type of hyperpig-mentation medically known as acanthosis nigricans (AN). |
David Steinman
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| The link between the herbicides and their miscarriages seemed strong, but I remembered how the attorneys for Dow used a line of questioning that made it look like anything could have caused the women's miscarriages. It was humiliating and unfair.
The largest chemical company in the United States, Dow Chemical is a leading producer of pesticides, plastics, hydrocarbons, and other chemicals. Its production processes and practices have poisoned the environment as well as consumers and workers, sometimes with dire consequences for entire communities. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 Bioflavonoids are beneficial for women who have recurring miscarriages. When placed on citrus bioflavonoids daily as soon as a period was missed, many stopped aborting.89 One study demonstrated that previously Rh-immunized mothers treated with bioflavonoids during their pregnancy delivered babies who were less erythroblastotic than expected.90
Omega-3 and Other Fatty Acids (EFAs).
There is a growing body of evidence about the importance of omega-3 fats for human health and development, not the least of which starts with infant exposure during fetal development. |
| Topical or vaginal progesterone may help normalize menstrual cycles, improve implantation rates, and maintain pregnancies in women with history of repeated miscarriages but should only be used under the care of a physician.55-56
MALE FERTILITY
Low sperm counts have been attributed to a number of factors, including exposure to pesticides, welding, antibiotic and other medication use, a history of mumps, gastrointestinal complaints, decreased intake of fruits and vegetables, family history of female fertility disorders, and nicotine and caffeine intake. |
| In one study, vitamin E was given to both men and women and resulted in a significant increase in fertility, and also assisted the achievement and maintenance of pregnancy in women with repeated miscarriages.29 Other studies show that adding antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, to the diet of animals significantly reduced the decline of regular ovulation related to aging.30 This may have importance for women in their 40s, who begin to experience reduced fertility due to diminished ovarian reserve.
Vitamin E
400-800 IU per day
Selenium. |
| Caffeinated beverages have been associated with decreased fertility, increased miscarriages, and lower birth weights.18 More than five cups of coffee per day, or more than 500 mg of caffeine per day, is associated with a delayed time to conception, although we don't really understand the mechanism. One possibility is that caffeine may impair estrogen production or the metabolism of estrogens.19 Substances other than caffeine in coffee, tea, and other beverages may also be responsible for reduced fertility. |
| Women who are overweight are more likely to experience problems with ovulation and miscarriages. An increase in abdominal fat decreases insulin sensitivity, which is related to ovulation dysfunction. Women who are underweight have infrequent or even lack of ovulation. This is compounded when combined with an eating disorder or excessive exercise. In a woman with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25, weight loss of as little as 5 percent can be significant in helping to normalize menses and ovulation, especially in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome. |
| While women should do their best to take excellent care of themselves during pregnancy, they must not assume personal responsibility for vagaries of biology like miscarriages and rare abnormalities. Ninety-eight percent or more of babies are born healthy. Keep that number in mind as you read through this information. Remember that fetuses are strong little creatures. They pull what they need from our bodies pretty effectively. It is the woman carrying the child, in all but extreme cases, who suffers from any deficiencies in nutrition or health—the fetus gets preferential treatment. |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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 As many as a quarter of women with recurrent miscarriages end up being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease APS, and one in five women who've suffered blood clots in the legs or strokes in the prime of life test positive for APS, making it more prevalent in women than leukemia and ovarian cancer combined.
No, the real reason doctors missed Jan's syndrome is because APS falls into the category of one of nearly one hundred autoimmune diseases that doctors have only in the last decade begun to recognize and understand. |
Stacy Malkan
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 DES was also linked to higher rates of infertility, miscarriages and malformed reproductive tracts in the daughters. A study of DES daughters now over 40 found they are more than twice as likely to get breast cancer as women whose mothers did not take DES while pregnant.20
"It's telling us that a much larger proportion of the human burden of disease is preventable," Myers said. "I think that's really good news."
The Poison Kiss
It turns out there is lead in lipstick, as two television reporters on opposite sides of North America reported in 2006. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 In a preliminary study, 22 women with recurrent miscarriages who had elevated levels of homocysteine were treated with 15 mg per day of folic acid (page 520) and 750 mg per day of vitamin B$ (page 600), prior to and throughout their next pregnancy. This treatment reduced homocysteine levels to normal and was associated with 20 successful pregnancies.48 It is not known whether supplementing with these vitamins would help prevent miscarriages in women with normal homocysteine levels. |
Jeffrey M. Smith
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 Exposure is linked with increased risks of the cancer non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,37 miscarriages, and attention deficit disorder," 38 as well as Parkinson's disease.39
Exposure to mouse testicular cells (Leydig cells) resulted in a 94% reduction in sex hormone production.40 In a study on human cells, a non-toxic concentration of Roundup as small as "100 times lower than the recommended use in agriculture," significandy disrupted the activity of aromatase— an enzyme crucial to sex hormone production. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
See book keywords and concepts |
| MOTTLED SKIN (Livedo Reticularis) warning sign
People with livedo, whether or not they have APS, are at increased risk of recurrent miscarriages. If you have these purple skin patterns and are pregnant or have had a history of miscarriage, mention it to your doctor.
Dark Patches
If you have dark patches on your body rather than your face and they're thicker or more velvety than normal skin, it may signal a type of hyperpig-mentation medically known as acanthosis nigricans (AN). |
Ron Garner
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 It can also lead to other conditions such as: stroke, lung disease, chronic bronchitis, miscarriages, underweight babies, sudden infant death syndrome (sids), meningitis, and osteoporosis. Over 4,000 different chemical compounds, including heavy metals and pesticides, have so far been found in tobacco smoke. More than 50 of these are known carcinogens and others are suspected mutagens which can cause harmful changes in the genetic material of living cells.12 Visible tobacco smoke represents only about 5 to 8 percent of the chemicals released from a burning cigarette. The rest are invisible. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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| It is not known whether supplementing with these vitamins would help prevent miscarriages in women with normal homocysteine levels. As the amounts of folic acid and vitamin B6 used in this study were extremely large and potentially toxic, this treatment should be used only with the supervision of a doctor.
In other studies, however, folate levels did not correlate with the incidence of habitual miscarriages. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 American Indian women ate blackberries to prevent miscarriages?
What's the Story?
Blackberries are shrubs that belong to the rose family. As a bramble, blackberry fields produce fruit every other year. There are many types of blackberries, including: Himalaya, Marion, Silvan, Evergreen, and Black Diamond. Evergreen blackberries are the main type sold. Blackberries are often used in hybrids such as boysenberry and loganberry.
A Serving of Food Lore... |
Stacy Malkan
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| Lois heard story after story of cancers, miscarriages and stillbirths. A formal health survey found a high percentage of birth defects in children born in the town. For three years, the families of Love Canal battled the chemical company that denied the problem and various government agencies that defended the company and refused to act, until finally, under pressure from media and the public, President Jimmy Carter signed a bill authorizing funding to permanently relocate the families. Congress later passed the Superfund law to clean up hazardous waste sites. |
Bottom Line Health
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| To learn more about miscarriages, visit — the March of Dimes Web site at www. ma rchofdimes. com.
Mom's Antidepressant Use Raises Newborn's Risk for Lung Condition
Christina D. Chambers, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, University of California, San Diego.
Sandra L. Kweder, MD, deputy director, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration.
Jennifer Wu, MD, obstetrician/gynecologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City.
The New England Journal ofMedicine. |
Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith
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 Trihalomethanes are linked to bladder and colorectal cancer, and exposure through drinking and skin absorption has been shown in studies to increase one's chance of miscarriages and other reproductive problems. Haloacetic acids may also be present in your water, which are also by-products of chlorine's disinfection, and are classified by the EPA as possible cancer-causing agents. In addition, traces of herbicides and pharmaceutical drugs may also be present. Tap water is not as clean as the government would like us to think. (I'll explain how drugs get into your tap water a bit later. |
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