NORMALISING REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY IN THE PRECONCEPTION PERIOD

Gemma M. O'Brien, Susan Arentz, School of Biological, Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of New England, NSW 2351

Fetal origins of adult disease, and the impacts of stress and bodyweight on fertility, are drawing attention to couples' health prior to, and during pregnancy. Patients undergoing a preconception health program at a fertility clinic were evaluated to test whether their health actually improved. Forty-six couples were evaluated for 60 (in females) or 53 parameters (in males) before and after the four-month program. The program involved individually tailored combinations of medical and naturopathic treatments including, where appropriate, antibiotics, nutritional supplements, herbal medications, education to minimise exposure to radiation and stress, and increased exercise and nutrition.

Blood tests, urine and hair sample analysis, and detailed histories using questionnaire and interview yielded data in 13 overall categories. All data were converted to ordinal level using scores that ranged from zero for parameters in the normal range to 15 for parameters severely above or below normal; parameters considered sufficiently serious to cause sterility (e.g. blocked tubes) were scored as 16. The cumulative score for each category was subjected to Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests for comparison of pre- and post-treatment health.

“Lifestyle and environmental factors” altered by the treatment included exposure to toxic chemicals, radiation, social drugs (each significant at p<0.001), and exercise by females (p<0.05) but not exercise by males, or use of therapeutic drugs. “Metabolic balance and overall health” showed improvements in tissue levels of toxic metals, zinc balance, and genitourinary infections (each significant at p<0.001) but not Body Mass Index. In female patients “reproductive tract physiology (p<0.001) and pathology” improved (p<0.005) but in male patients neither reproductive physiology (assessed via semen quality) nor reproductive tract pathology improved.

Thus the preconception health program did result in improvements in most of the aspects of health that were examined. Subsequent study will investigate whether these improvements in health contribute to increased fertility and fecundity.