This is East Coast Fertility’s current commercial airing throughout the Metro area.  Ten Months, its the best age…  Because you get to buy them their first pair of shoes.

East Coast Fertility is offering a free seminar: What You Need to Know Now If You Are Trying to Have a Baby: Innovations in the Treatment and Financing of Infertility. There is no charge for attendees, and all are eligible to receive a free fertility consultation with Dr. Kreiner and a discount coupon for some fertility medications. Don’t miss this chance to learn from these renowned fertility experts.

Plainview, NY (PRWEB) September 14, 2009 — East Coast Fertility is offering a free seminar: What You Need to Know Now If You Are Trying to Have a Baby: Innovations in the Treatment and Financing of Infertility. Attend this special night of hope and information and get answers to all of your questions. The seminar is hosted by fertility pioneer Dr. David Kreiner, founder of East Coast Fertility, and Pamela Madsen, founder of The American Fertility Association. They will be discussing topics such as Micro IVF, Single Embryo Transfer, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), and Grant Programs to help finance treatment. There is no charge for attendees, and all are eligible to receive a free fertility consultation with Dr. Kreiner and a discount coupon for some fertility medications. Don’t miss this chance to learn from these renowned fertility experts.

There are two opportunities to attend the event: Thursday, September 17th at 6:30pm at the Marriott Long Island Hotel & Conference Center in Uniondale, NY and Monday, September 21st at 6:30pm at Danford’s Inn Marina Conference Center in Port Jefferson, NY. Questions about the seminars can be directed to Karen Malamud at (516) 939-BABY.

Dr. Kreiner and Ms. Madsen are offering these seminars to highlight Micro IVF as a more successful alternative to IUI and a more economical choice to IVF. Micro-IVF lowers the cost of in vitro treatment by more than half, and Dr. Kreiner believes that its success rate is much higher than the 10% chance of achieving pregnancy through a single IUI treatment. It is also more favorable for patients, as the procedure usually requires less fertility medications to be administered. Join them for this seminar to learn about what options are best for you. For more information on Dr. Kreiner and fertility treatments, visit East Coast Fertility.

ABOUT East Coast Fertility: East Coast Fertility is the premier center for infertility care on Long Island. Conceived by Dr. David Kreiner, a pioneer of IVF, their program utilizes the most recent developments in reproductive technology and has evolved to become a leader for highly successful and personalized infertility and IVF care. The center prides itself on combining the best technology and expertise with compassion for its patients. They offer many convenient locations throughout Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Octomom was a result of IVF with an embryo transfer of six embryos. This far exceeds the number that the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) has recommended as the limit. Physicians have known for many years the dangers of multiple pregnancies and have worked steadily to formulate evidence‐based guidelines for the number of embryos to transfer in IVF cycles. The current rate of triplets in IVF cycles nationally has dropped in 2005 to only 2% of cycles. At East Coast Fertility our triplet rate has been below 1% since 2002 and not one of these occurred from transfer of more than 2 embryos..

However, the Tunisian woman who is expecting six male and six female babies conceived using gonadotropins in combination with insemination. Unfortunately, one does not have the same control with insemination as you do with IVF. As many eggs as is stimulated by the gonadotropin injections can implant with intrauterine insemination (IUI) or without the benefit of retrieval of the eggs as one performs as part of the IVF procedure. With IVF one can limit the number of embryos transfered to a woman’s uterus. Insuance companies do not typically cover IVF but are more likely to cover IUIs. However, if one considers the cost of multiple pregnancy; including hospitalization for mother and babies born prematurely requiring the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and care for babies born handicapped, it would be a lot cheaper for insurance companies and employers, the government and society to cover IVF and have the control to prevent these high risk multiple pregnancies.

The dozen babies happened because the safer alternative, IVF was not performed. Gonadotropins without IVF are dangerously risky due to this lack of control over how many eggs may fertilize and implant. Society, the government and insurance companies in partnership with employers discourage IVF yet encourage gonadotropin therapy without the protection of IVF. They are at fault since they deny women coverage of IVF services. If IVF was covered by their insurance, physicians would not need to administer gonadotropins in such a dangerous and risky way. Perhaps gonadotropin treatment without IVF should be illegal or at least have very strict regulations regarding its use. Again, if IVF is a covered alternative who would not choose the safer more successful treatment?

That brings us to regulating how many embryos to transfer as Octomom went through IVF with transfer of six embryos. At East Coat Fertility, a financial incentive is offered to patients to transfer a single embryo. Cryopreservation of embryos is offered for free as well as storage for up to 1 year for patients in the Single Embryo Transfer Program. In addition, patients may return for their frozen embryo transfers for free until a baby is born. Patients are encouraged by this program not to put all their eggs in one basket. Success rates with a fresh single embryo transfer with IVF at our program, is nearly 50%.

If IVF were a covered service as I recommend to avoid the dangers of uncontrolled gonadotropin use without IVF than we need to regulate how many embryos are transferred. The SART recommendations regarding the number to transfer should be law to prevent such aberrations as Octomom from happening. There is flexibility built into the recommendations taking into account critical factors such as patient age and embryo quality. One can even factor in past experience.

I believe it is not until we discourage the use of gonadotropins without IVF by offering IVF as a regulataed covered alternative will we eliminate risky multiple pregnancies. Until then, all of us including society, the government, insurance companies and employers are to blame for letting these dangerous multiple pregnancies occur

My first day of fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology at the Jones Institute was the day the Institute moved from the old quarters at the medical school to their new location at Hoffheimer Hall.  Movers carried boxes laden heavy with text books and the physician giants of IVF I had up until now only read about were picking up odds and ends from their recently departed offices.  Howard and Georgeanna Jones looked to me on that auspicious day like someone’s old grandparents rather than the father and mother of IVF.  Dr. Georgeanna, as she liked to be called, reminded me of my own grandmother.  I feared that I had come too late, that they were way past their prime and I would not be able to learn from them.  It was after all 1985 and they had been leaders in infertility since the 1960’s.  Dr. Howard was let go from Johns Hopkins Hospital almost 7 years earlier for reaching the retirement age.

They had planned to settle on the Maryland shore and spend time on their second love after fertility, sailing.  Instead, an old friend of theirs from Johns Hopkins from the 1960’s, Mason Andrews, helped found a new medical school in Norfolk, Virginia and now wanted their help to build the division of reproductive endocrinology, infertility (REI).  Eastern Virginia Medical which later changed its name to the Medical College of Hampton Roads was new and barely known by anyone outside of Virginia at that time.  Mason, a southern gentleman in his 60’s, soft spoken with a sharp wit and former Mayor of Norfolk, was successful in talking them into spending a few more years teaching so they bought a cozy house on the Elizabeth River 10 minutes from the school.

The Joneses hadn’t finished unpacking when the greatest fertility event of all time hit the news.  Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards had succeeded in Great Britain with creating a new life through a process known as In Vitro Fertilization.  The Joneses had worked with Professor Edwards years ago and were themselves well known in the field so it was natural that journalists came to their home to interview the erudite couple.  Dr. Howard talked about the genius of Professor Edwards and how he was not surprised that he achieved success.  Almost as an afterthought at the end of the interview, Dr. Jones was asked if IVF could be performed successfully in Norfolk.  In Dr. Howard’s pinpoint precision fashion and with his classic radio announcer voice, proclaimed that they certainly could develop IVF and with sufficient funds they could even create a successful program in Norfolk.  I have seen videotapes of Dr. Howard talking about this moment and it conjures up images of Babe Ruth promising to hit a homerun for the sick boy in the hospital then pointing to the fence just prior to him knocking one out of the park.

Well, the Joneses hit the homerun as predicted and by the time I arrived in 1985, Norfolk was the center of the IVF universe. Experts worldwide travelled to Norfolk to train and to teach.  Prior to the Joneses entering the playing field of IVF, the world averaged one baby a year from IVF.  Dr. Georgeanna introduced the concept of stimulating a woman’s ovaries with gonadotropin hormones in order to produce multiple eggs, thereby increasing the odds of retrieving healthy mature eggs, getting them fertilized and creating embryos that had good pregnancy potential.  Patients travelled from all over to have their IVF at Norfolk where the success rate, in 1985, was a world leading 15%.

I was excited beyond belief that this was my world now.  I arrived early that first day of my fellowship dressed in a brand new shirt and tie eager to learn and impress.  I managed to be accepted to this most competitive fellowship in part because I had been reading reproductive endocrinology for over 5 years.  I went through my ob gyn residency with the intention of specializing in REI and IVF.  In 1980 I began my training in REI mentored by Zev Rosenwaks, who convinced me that I could not possibly learn as much in any other residency as I would with him in Stony Brook.  So, I joined Zev, who had trained with the Joneses at Johns Hopkins, and he helped me start a residency clinic in REI at StonyBrook where I trained until 1985. Those five years I had been preparing for this moment in July 1985, to do my fellowship with Howard and Georgeanna Jones at the world famous Jones Institute in Norfolk, Virginia.

That first day, during office hours, I was following Dr, Georgeanna who was seeing her private patients.  Training begins.  She asked, do I know about the two cell theory to the luteal phase? I was dumbfounded.  I  had never come across such a concept in any of my reading.  Little did I know, Dr. Georgeanna had a knowledge base and theories in reproductive endocrinology that few others could rival.  She explained about the large cell and small cell and how the small cell is activated 10 days after ovulation by the pregnancy hormone, hcg.  In its absence the large cell dies, progesterone decreases and a woman menstruates.  In its presence the activated small cells continue to pump out progesterone and support the pregnancy.  How exciting! I realized that I would spend every possible free moment talking reproductive endocrinology with Dr. Georgeanna. She knew all the REI secrets.  She was the endocrinologist expert of the team.  She was also the heart of Norfolk.  She empathized with her patients and would go out of her way for them to help her patients achieve their dream, and that dream was to build their family.  Dr. Howard was the surgeon, the geneticist and the spokesman in addition to being the leader.  He was able to motivate and direct like a general leading his troops to battle.  Everyone on his team was critical in his view to their ultimate success.  He loved to say, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”.  He did what he could to ensure the integrity of each link.

Despite his age which was into his 70’s, Howard exercised regularly, was in excellent shape and in my mind was the original Macho Man.  I remember observing him operate, not always delicate, but experienced in fertility surgery like few others.  He was never intimidated and if the job called for raw muscle he was eager and willing to provide it himself.

I completed my two year fellowship in 1987, having learned an enormous amount of information and prepared to start my own IVF program.  However, the Joneses asked me to stay on as an assistant professor, to help start an embryo cryopreservation program and direct the donor egg program.  How could I refuse such an opportunity? I saw patients next door to Dr. Georgeanna and around the corner from Dr. Howard. Zev Rosenwaks was down the hall.  I could present every patient to whomever I thought would know the most about my patient’s problems.  This became an even better learning experience than my fellowship.  There were four of us in the IVF rotation, Zev Rosenwaks, myself, Suheil Muasher, a fellow who was two years ahead of me in training and Anibal Acosta, the Howard Jones of Argentina.  Rosenwaks and Acosta were often lecturing so Suheil and I performed more of the IVF that year. It was an exciting time.  We started doing retrievals transvaginally instead of laparoscopically.  We were experimenting with lupron and pregnancy rates were exceeding 25%.  I was doing my life’s dream working in IVF, helping women in need of help with conception achieve their dream of making their family.

Times were changing. Successful IVF programs were springing up throughout the nation.  It was the spring of 1988 when I returned home and started the first successful IVF program on Long Island dedicated to Howard and Georgeanna Jones who through their time, efforts and knowledge trained me and in so doing passed the baton of successful family building through the miracle of IVF.  Today, we remember these giants of IVF who started it all.  Mason Andrews and Dr. Georgeanna have since passed on.  Dr. Howard, now in his 90’s and how he describes it as late in the 9th inning is still occasionally involved in trying to make IVF more accessible to the public.  They were erudite medical pioneers who are responsible for the hundreds of thousands of babies who have been born through the technology that they helped create and promote.  They were the original teachers of IVF who selflessly shared their knowledge with others so that they also may help their patients conceive.   I am eternally thankful for the opportunities and training I received there from them, from Zev Rosenwaks, Suheil Muasher and from others at the Institute.

I was at a meeting with one of the insurance companies when I was asked, “How do you educate patients regarding the risks of multiple pregnancy?” I realized that as much as I try to counsel patients and teach them that we had limited written materials and no audio visual. It was at that point that we decided to create our patient education program. First we hired an expert patient educator, Pamela Madsen, former founder and president of the American Fertility Association. With her assistance and with the help of my son Dan, we have produced a number of online tools for our patients:

We launched this blog, the fertililty doc, insights, information and musings on the world of fertility, infertility and reproductive medicine which covers everything from current news to new programs offered to informational videos and more.

We have developed a message board to assist patients in reaching out for answers to their questions. There is also a cycle buddy board that patients can utilitze to connect with and offer support to their fellow patients going through similar experiences.

The newest of our projects is an ongoing video series called Journey to the Crib: Fertility Talk with Pam and Dr. Dave which will consist of a new topic each week. We went with a casual format that actually takes place in the living room of my house.

Here are the first two episodes of Journey to the Crib, the first is an introduction to the series and the second one which is the topic for this week is High Order Multiple Births. I welcome you to visit our new educational sites as often as you wish. I hope they work to help educate you on fertility and increase your knowledge and awareness to help you in your own personal journeys. Please feel free to ask questions and to comment by clicking the comments button below.