Nature Cell Biology and Nature Medicine Fertility Supplement Press Release for papers published on October 1st 2002

REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES POSE LEGAL QUANDRIES
doi:10.1038/ncb-nm-fertilityS23
Nature Cell Biology 4 (S1), s23–s28; 2002
Nature Medicine 8 (S1), s23–s28; 2002

In the United States, assisted reproductive technologies are deployed largely according to market forces, without the influence of government-imposed regulation. The recent debate over human cloning, however, has once again brought these issues to the fore.

In the October Fertility Supplement to Nature Cell Biology and Nature Medicine, R. Alta Charo reviews the legal precendents and current legislative initiatives in areas including pre-implantation diagnosis, gamete donation and surrogacy. The author concludes that if political momentum can be gathered to impose such legislation, government restrictions on these technologies might well be upheld in the higher courts.

Author contact:
R. Alta Charo
University of Wisconsin Law School and Medical School
5211C Law Building, 975 Bascom Mall
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Telephone: (608) 262-5015
Fax: (608) 262-5485
e-mail: racharo@facstaff.wisc.edu

COULD IN VITRO FERTILIZATION BE DANGEROUS?
doi: 10.1038/ncb_nm_fertilitys14
Nature Cell Biology 4 (S1), s14–s18; 2002
Nature Medicine 8 (S1), s14–s18; 2002

Children born through in vitro fertilization may be at an increased risk of foetal abnormalities.

In the October Fertility Supplement to Nature Cell Biology and Nature Medicine, Lord Robert Winston and Kate Hardy review the latest research in this area and discuss the risks posed by the three techniques commonly used during IVF – intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), embryo freezing and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

The authors state that although IVF is one of the safest medical treatments used today, more research and child follow-up is needed to determine whether some recent studies, which highlighted some potential risks of IVF, are conclusive.

Author contact:
Robert M. L. Winston
Department of Reproductive Science and Medicine
Imperial College, LONDON, W12 0NN, UK
Tel: +44 207 594 2108
e-mail: r.winston@ic.ac.uk

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON FERTILITY
doi: 10.1038/ncb_nm_fertilitys33
Nature Cell Biology 4 (S1), s33–s40; 2002
Nature Medicine 8 (S1), s33–s40; 2002

Increases in obesity, female smoking and sedentary lifestyles will increasingly influence human fertility.

In the Fertility Supplement published with the October issues of Nature Cell Biology and Nature Medicine, Richard Sharpe and Stephen Franks summarise research showing that lifestyle, diet, environmental chemicals, occupation and (for men) time spent seated, will all affect the fertility of future generations.

As more couples are delaying first pregnancies, the impact of environmental factors on fertility will increase. In addition, as most of these factors affect the foetus during pregnancy, their impact will be hidden for several decades, until the child itself reaches child-bearing age.

The authors state that all such effects can be prevented by changes in diet and lifestyle.

Author contact:
Richard Sharpe
MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit,
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
e-mail: r.sharpe@hrsu.mrc.ac.uk