MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'genetic diagnosis'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:46:00 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734247&cid=t_403161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fpgd-cgh-is-it-of-any-use.html The newest IVF technology uses a fancy new technique which marries IVF and genetics. This is called PGD ( preimplantation genetic diagnosis) with CGH ( comparative genomic hybridisation) and there are lots of press releases and articles touting this as the newest breakthrough !Doctors , like all big boys, love to play with new toys - and the newer the better ! This is especially true when they have expensive new technological tools, which no other competitor has. Doctors can be very competitive - and are always trying to be one-up on each other. An easy way of being different is to use the newest technology - but the trouble is that never is not always better ( though newer is always more expensive !)Because these new tools are so expensive , doctors need to use them extensively, to justif... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734247 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:45:00 +0100 4734247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858229&cid=t_403161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fpgd-newest-art.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858229 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:37:00 +0100 3858229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742311&cid=t_403161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fafter-failed-ivf-cycle-whats-next.html I just got this email from a patient.Doctor, I am now at my wit's end ! I have failed 4 IVF cycles at 2 different clinics. The doctor transferred 2 beautiful blastocysts each time ! What do I do next ? My doctor is advising surrogacy, since he believes my uterus is rejecting the embryos.IVF failure is reproductive medicine's most frustrating problem ! When beautiful embryos fail to implant in a perfect cycle , it's often impossible to determine "what went wrong" ! A knee jerk reflex is to then consider surrogacy.However, surrogacy is an expensive and complex treatment option, which is best reserved forwomen without a uterus. Research shows that the reason for failed implantation is much more likely to be genetically abnormal embryos , rather than a uterine problem.Just because the embryo t... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742311 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:31:00 +0100 3742311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695647&cid=t_403161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fworlds-first-virtual-ivf-clinic-on.html We have created the world’s first IVF clinic on Second Life. The clinic is now open – please do come and browse around ! We have a reception area where you can watch videos about IVF a consultation room, where you can do a consultation with a virtual IVF specialist an operation theater, where you can watch an egg collection and embryo transfer an IVF lab, where you can see how embryos grow an andrology lab where you can see how we process sperm for IUI a PGD lab, where you can watch how we do an embryo biopsy a virtual support group, where you can get counseling and support Go to Second Life ( www.secondlife.com) and set up a free account. Use the link below to get to the clinic once you in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nileswarm/40/... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695647 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:09:00 +0100 3695647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881287&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FFccxlRW8-qg%2F Couples at high risk for genetic disorders would prefer to have pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) rather than risk terminating a pregnancy later, a study from Fertility and Sterility Journal showed. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is performed after in-vitro fertilization where an embryo is tested for mutations that can lead to genetic defects, before being implanted into the uterus. Obviously, PGD reduces the need for prenatal genetic testing in the middle of a pregnancy, and avoid having to choose between terminating or continuing on with the pregnancy. The study showed that among 210 Dutch couples with genetic disorders, 60% would prefer diagnostic testing and, of these 74% preferred PGD over prenatal testing. Couples who are high risk for specific disorders and where ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881287 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:50:00 +0100 2881287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637959&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F-Akq6-PAgBs%2F I was just reading about how prenatal screening can eradicate genetic disease (and reported it too) when I read another article that casts doubt on the entire procedure of pre-implantation genetic diasnosis (PGD). Used with in vitro fertilization, PGD is a biopsy of the developing embryos to look for signs of abnormalities. Obviously, only normal embryos are then implanted into a woman’s uterus to ensure that no abnormality will be present in the child. However, new studies on mice suggested that PGD can affect fetal, neonatal and adult development. The scientists found that biopsied embryos implanted after PGD result in lesser number of births. Adult mice that have been biopsied as embryos also showed neurodegenerative disorders disorders like Alzheimers and Down Syndrome, according ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637959 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:46:00 +0100 2637959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561490&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FPPrMZHXnyEw%2F Will a new prenatal genetic test create designer babies? That’s one of the questions raised as news that a universal embryo test could be available next year. The current method for prenatal genetic testing involves either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to get embryo fluids or placenta cells from a pregnant woman’s abdomen. The placenta or placental fluids contain cells generated by the fetus. These cells are used to identify chromosomal abnormalities that can affect a baby’s survival or capacity at birth. Prenatal genetic tests are mainly used to provide information to the parents about their unborn child’s genetic condition before birth, so they can make informed decisions and manage the pregnancy better. Unfortunately, the current methods are invasive and te... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561490 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:34:17 +0100 2561490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306835&cid=t_403161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FJ_sUIO-wdP0%2Fwhy-i-love-designer-babies-part-deux.html Last month, Kathryn Hinsch started a lively discussion in her post, "Why I Love Designer Babies" -- this month, New Scientist editor Michael LePage adds fuel to the debate on genetic selection:Fears over 'designer' babies leave children suffering MADELINE Kara Neumann, age 11, died of diabetes because her parents prayed rather than taking her to doctors. Caleb Moorhead, age 6 months, died after his deeply religious vegan parents refused a simple vitamin injection to cure his malnutrition. The list of children killed by their parents' superstition or wilful ignorance is a long one. Most people are rightly appalled by such cases. How can parents stand by and let their children die instead of doing all in their power to get the best medical care a... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306835 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:27:46 +0100 2306835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249065&cid=t_403161_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fpusing-eugenics-as-smart-science.html Bioethicist Jacob M. Appel, who has written that mentally ill people should not be denied the "opportunities" to commit assisted suicide, now pushes mandatory pre-implatation genetic testing in all IVF fertility treatments in order to weed out the unfit (my term) and for whom care would be expensive. But don't call it eugenics! From his column:The most obvious advantage of mandatory screening is that it will reduce the long-term suffering of the children who are spared disease. At the same time, preventing future cancers will certainly save tax dollars. These savings could be redirected toward researching new therapies and providing quality care for current patients. The money might also help to defer the enormous public costs of fertility therapy, coverage for which a growing number of st... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249065 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2249065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240585&cid=t_403161_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fpusing-eugenics-as-smart-science.html Bioethicist Jacob M. Appel, who has written that mentally ill people should not be denied the "opportunities" to commit assisted suicide, now pushes mandatory pre-implatation genetic testing in all IVF fertility treatments in order to weed out the unfit (my term) and for whom care would be expensive. But don't call it eugenics! From his column:The most obvious advantage of mandatory screening is that it will reduce the long-term suffering of the children who are spared disease. At the same time, preventing future cancers will certainly save tax dollars. These savings could be redirected toward researching new therapies and providing quality care for current patients. The money might also help to defer the enormous public costs of fertility therapy, coverage for which a growing number of st... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240585 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2240585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096035&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FQq383G3GN4w%2F The first of the world’s “designer babies” have been born, and the baby girl is selected to be free of a genetic risk of breast cancer, the  Times reports. The girl was born after embryos were screened to exclude the faulty BRCA1 gene. All the father’s female relatives had developed breast cancer caused by BRCA1. The program is run by the University College Hospital in London. Genetic screening of fetus for serious genetic condition is part of the maternal health care and highly recommended for pregnant women over 35. However, only genetic risks of Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis and chromosomal abnormalities are tested. Women can then make the choice to continue with (or terminate) a pregnancy. Recently, genetic testing of individuals for risk of certai... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096035 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:39:22 +0100 2096035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918042&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fjvux56F3-bg%2F Malnourishment in a pregnant woman has a lasting effect on her child’s DNA. This was the implications of a new study on children born during the famine of World War II. Scientists studied the DNA of children who were born to women starved during the 1944 Hunger Winter in the Netherlands. They analyzed a gene called insulin-like growth factor 2 or IGF2, an important growth hormone. Methyl groups that attach to IGF2 very early in fetal development determine how much of the growth hormone is made later, and protect the DNA from damage. The scientists found that those children (now in their 60s)  who were exposed to famine in the first trimester of pregnancy had lesser methyl groups in the IGF2 gene than their siblings of the same sex. Loss of methylation in IGF2 has previously b... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918042 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:46 +0100 1918042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360650&cid=t_403161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F266931371%2F This second article originating from G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg takes a look at the service you will receive if you subscribe to Navigenics’ genomic wellness service. The Navigenics service  When you sign up to the Navigenics service you effectively enrol as a member and not as a patient or customer.   For US$2,500 you subscribe to an annual package which includes a genomic scan to identify your lifetime risk (compared to an average American male or female) of developing 18 core, treatable diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes.  Included in the package is on-line and telephone support from experienced genetic counselors who will hand-hold you throughout the process and be availab... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360650 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:27 +0100 1360650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1298662&cid=t_403161_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fwisdom-of-william-hurlbut-on-genetic.html I have been focusing recently on S 1810, the Kennedy/Brownback Bill, could result in fewer eugenic abortions, or babies refused life-sustaining treatment--with more to come. The related issue of newborn genetic screening was taken up recently by the President's Council on Bioethics, and my very good friend William Hurlbut had a lot to say about the matter. (He has a developmentally disabled child (not genetically caused), and so has the "moral authority" some say is required to have an opinion on difficult ethical issues.) Here is an excerpt from the meeting's transcript, with my emphasis at what I consider some of his most important thoughts: Medicine moved from being a relatively ineffective profession at the end of the nineteenth century to starting to have some really effective interve... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1298662 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:08:00 +0100 1298662