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Infertility is defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as the inability to become pregnant after 12 months or more of unprotected intercourse for women under 35 and after six months for women over 35.
Nature protects you and your child by selecting only the best embryos so that you have the best chance of giving birth to a healthy child. This article will explain the natural selective process and its protective function. Perhaps more importantly we will suggest strategies that can help increase your odds of having a healthy child.
Preterm birth is defined as any birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation and is the leading cause of illness and death among newborns. The 2023 March of Dimes Report Card reveals that more than one in ten infants were born prematurely in the United States in the past five consecutive years and for the third consecutive year, the March of Dimes Annual Report Card has given the United States a D+ for the country’s persistently high preterm birth rate.
Summary
Bacterial cells in the human body account for 1-3% of total body weight and are at least equal in number to human cells. Recent research has focused on understanding how the different bacterial communities in the body (eg, gut, respiratory, skin, and vaginal microbiomes) predispose to health and disease. The microbiome of the reproductive tract has historically been assumed to be identical to the vaginal bacterial flora, and the uterus classically was considered to be a sterile cavity but recently has been shown to have its own unique microbiome.
A genital Lactobacillus-dominated flora plays a pivotal role in determining fertility. Lactobacilli dominate the microbial community and are commonly associated with a healthy genital status. Any pathological modification of this Lactobacillus-dominated flora is associated with poor reproductive outcomes. This finding adds a novel microbiological dimension to the reproductive process.