OBGYN_1210_OBGYN 12/14/10 10:49 AM Page 1
DECEMBER 2010
WWW.OBGYN-INFERTILITY-NURSE.COM
VOL 2, NO 6
e AWHONN HIGHLIGHTS
CLINIC PROFILE
The Fertility Institute of New Orleans Preventing Maternal Deaths Strength in Numbers
What Nurses Can Do
Interview with Mary M. MacGregor, RNC IVF Nurse Coordinator, Fertility Institute of New Orleans, LA
By Caroline Helwick
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alf the reported maternal deaths in the United States could have been prevented by early diagnosis and treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This and other important information regarding maternal mortality was conveyed at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses 2010 meeting by Suzanne McMurtry Baird, MSN, RN, of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN. “Maternal deaths are rare,” she noted. “But when they happen they are devastating, not only to families but to the obstetrical staff.”
Whereas a recent or current pregnancy need not be listed on a death certificate, maternal (pregnancy-related) deaths are thought to be underestimated. They are reported via the “honor system,” no penalties are levied for misreporting or failing to report them, no standard reporting system exists, and a confidential review of all maternal deaths (which would help to identify causes and inform preventive efforts) is not required, according to Ms Baird. US Mortality Rate Too High The overall US maternal mortality rate in 2006 was 13.3 per 100,000 live Continued on page 12
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he staff at the Fertility Institute of New Orleans (FINO) prides itself on having achieved more than 10,000 pregnancies for patients, providing evidence for their motto, “We help bring dreams to life.” With offices in Metairie, Mandeville, and Baton Rouge, FINO positions itself to meet the fertility needs of patients
throughout Louisiana. We spoke with Mary MacGregor, RNC, to find out more about the clinic.
Could you describe the staff at FINO? Oftentimes, the reputation of a fertility clinic emanates from the reputation of a particular individual at the Continued on page 6
ASRM HIGHLIGHTS
Moderate Stress May Be Good Before IVF Cycles But Coping Skills during Cycles Are Crucial By Wayne Kuznar
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ndergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be stressful for many women, but results from 2 studies presented at the 2010 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine suggest that some stress can actually be advantageous for IVF outcomes.
“Some distress prior to cycle initiation is beneficial, as long as patients have the skill to decrease their level of stress [during their cycle],” said Alice D. Domar, PhD, Director of the Mind/ Body Center for Women’s Health at the Mind/Body Medical Institute and Beth Continued on page 10
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SPOTLIGHT
They Called Him Noah IVF Lessons from Katrina
Sissy Sartor, MD Reproductive Endocrinologist, Fertility Institute of New Orleans, LA
©Copyright Bigstock.com/Tashka
Left to right, seated: Steven Taylor, MD; Richard P. Dickey, MD, PhD; standing: Peter Lu, MD; Sissy Sartor, MD.
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hey called him Noah, and he became a symbol of hope for our community—a community defined by the Fertility Institute of New Orleans’ (FINO’s) staff, patients, city, and region. His journey began long before Katrina roared onto the shores of Louisiana on August 29, 2005, with sustained winds of 140 mph, long before the subsequent breaks in the levees and canals, and long before the dark water came perilously close to washing away our lives. His journey began as 1 of 5 embryos frozen in the
New Orleans waterfront.
FINO in vitro fertilization (IVF) facility on December 6, 2003. That IVF cycle took place in our east New Orleans IVF laboratory, which was inundated with 8 feet of floodwater in the aftermath of Katrina. Two days before the predicted landfall of Katrina, the Dewar tanks that contained Noah and 1747 other Continued on page 7
Inside Infertility Updates Why Age Matters, Page 8 Ethical Issues in ART, Page 11 Women’s Health Don’t Ignore Risks for Late-Preterm Newborns, Page 16 New Early Labor Detector, Page 17
Complimentary CE Credit Genetic Counseling: Family History Risk Assessment, Page 18
The Cancer Patient Sexuality Problems in Breast Cancer Survivors, Page 22 Meeting Coverage ASRM, AWHONN, ESMO, NAMS, SUNA