Bravo Dr Mary Herbert of Newcastle University

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/revealed-why-risk-of-infertility-and-birth-defects-rises-with-age-2069229.html

Back in September this year Dr Mary Herbert of Newcastle University in the UK, reader in Reproductive Biology at the Institute of Ageing and Health, led a team whose research showed that declining levels of proteins called cohesins, which act like a glue holding chromosomes together, are the key to reproductive ageing, and why infertility and birth defects rise with age.

As part of the article on her research (see link above) it was reported that obstetricians have warned that the "bio-panic" women used to suffer on their 30th birthday has moved to their 40th. It further went on to say that some experts have predicted that a fertility time bomb hangs over Britain over the coming decades as women delay childbearing. One in seven couples have problems conceiving, and this could rise to as many as one in three if present trends continue.

With respect to her research and this issue, Dr. Herbert stated that:

• "We are at the stage of saying how the engine works and what is broken. The next stage is answering the question: can it be fixed? Could you add cohesin that would do the job [of holding the chromosomes together]? A lot of effort is going into answering that."
  


• However, no solution to infertility was imminent. "The main message is for women not to delay childbirth. The best way for women to avoid the problem is to have their children earlier. If there are social reasons why they are delaying then we should look at these and make it easier for them."
  

I wrote to Dr. Herbert saying how much I had enjoyed reading about her study and in particular her conclusion about clearly messaging to women to not delay childbirth, and highlighted that the message she advocated sadly is not conveyed in any way properly or sufficiently to women so that they know the risks, and working women are particularly at risk. I asked for any support or guidance that she could provide in order to raise awareness on this topic, and I would just like to share with you all the wonderful response I received from her today.

As part of my letter to Dr Herbert, I raised her attention to this blog and mentioned that in it suggestions are made for improved education and awareness as well as referenced the study in Canada where it warns women could risk being unintentionally childless due to their lack of awareness of how fertility declines with age. I also pointed out the poor success to date in my attempts to raise awareness at the levels that have the authority and gravitas to make a change: I highlighted the letters I had written to the UK's Department of Health, the Department of Education, HFEA, the Royal College of GPs and the Royal College of Obstetricians on the need for improved education and the disappointing response - either a plain vanilla 'we are looking into it and aware of the issue' or else no real acknowledgement as in the case of the RCOGPs who simply said it was already on their curriculum but did not acknowledge that GPs and nurses weren't having the conversations with patients on the topic at pill checks and pap smears. And I pointed the the young women's magazines that I contacted to see if they would be interested in covering the topic and explained that I also had had no response from these.

Dr Herbert responded to me today and I am over the moon with her support:

After consulting with her colleagues about the problem of getting the reproductive ageing message to the family planing practitioners, she indicated that the general feeling is that targeting the practice nurses might be the most effective way to raise awareness. And that the Royal College of Nurses ('RCN") might be a good place to go.

She had also spoken with the head of nursing here at Newcastle Fertility Centre about the possibility of organising information days and/or leaflets for GP practice nurses who was enthusiastic about the idea and therefore hopefully something would begin to happen in that direction.

I will follow this up with the RCN but I would just like to say here and now a massive thank you to Dr. Herbert for her efforts here - this really is the wonderful type of support that will make a change and make for a better informed set of twenty and thirty somethings for the future. And hopefully avoid the 'fertility time-bomb' that some experts warn about.