Scientists have found 30 genes that control the timing of puberty in girls. Many of the newly identified genes also contribute to body weight and metabolism.
Infertility
Sperm on Steroids: 6 Inches Long and Raring to Fertilize
Call them sperm on steroids, these 6-inch (15 cm) long wriggly organisms that Australian fertility specialists have magnified more than 7000x to help determine which are most likely to fertilize that lucky egg.
Why Laptop Computing Might Not Be Great for Fertility
Sitting too long with a laptop computer on your lap may do more than cause toasted skin syndrome. New research suggests that men who hold a computer on their lap may create unsafe levels of testicular heat, which can potentially …
Want to Freeze Your Biological Clock? One Doc Says, Go for It
After 10 years of marriage ended in divorce and no children, Julie Lorber knew she had to take extreme measures if she ever hoped to become a mother.
Analyzing Eggs and their Genetic Junk Offers Clues to Fertility
We know that egg + sperm = baby, but the nitty-gritty of how women get pregnant is largely a mystery. Now researchers at Brown University have discovered a new way to gather more information about egg cells: by sifting through …
Are You Fertile? Don’t Rely on a Drug-Store Fertility Test to Tell You
We women are accustomed to peeing on chemically-treated sticks to learn what our bodies are up to. Pregnancy tests administered in the confines of the master bathroom are more accurate than ever, but new research indicates that …
Researchers Question When to Stop Trying With IVF
A team of researchers found that women’s success rates using in vitro fertilization (IVF) did not improve much after the first three cycles. About one in three women had a baby after their first attempt with IVF, and nearly half …
Oh, Baby: Octomom’s Doctor Could Lose His License
Who’s worried about Octomom? Initially goo-goo-ga-ga over the idea of octuplets, the public quickly changed its tune when announcement of the births was soon overshadowed by news of Nadya Suleman’s other six kids and her …
First Comes Cancer, Then Come Children: The New World of Oncofertility
Cancer used to be an old people’s disease. No longer: we all have friends and colleagues — young people, in their 20s, 30s, 40s — who’ve been on the receiving end of a scary diagnosis. The good news is that a verdict of …
Lawsuit over Children Born the Wrong Color After IVF
A Northern Irish High Court judge has declined to award damages to a family who sued a health trust that provided in vitro fertilization (IVF) services for using the wrong sperm and causing their two children to be born darker …
Is the Catholic Church’s Argument Against IVF a Bit Holey?
When biologist Robert Edwards, who perfected in vitro fertilization (IVF) more than 30 years ago, was awarded the Nobel Prize on Oct. 4, public reaction was swift and divided.
Meet the Woman Who Gave Away Eight Kids
The British Daily Mail, perhaps in honor of the Nobel won Monday by IVF pioneer Robert Edwards, brings us up to date with the slow-food version of the Octomom. Jill Hawkins, a 45-year-old legal secretary, recently gave birth to her eighth child in 19 years, all now being raised other people.
Getting Paid to Procreate in Taiwan: Is $640 Enough?
In China, overpopulation has led to a one-child rule for many couples. Its neighbor, Taiwan, has the opposite problem: Its birthrate dropped to a record low last year. With less than 20,000 babies born, moms and dads will soon …
