Naturopathic Treatment of Infertility 

by Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc (Hons), ND

Definition of Infertility

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected trying or to carry a pregnancy to a live birth. 

Causes of Infertility

The most common causes of infertility are hormone imbalances, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, male factor and “unexplained”. 

• Hormone imbalances – usually male hormone (androgen) excess, estrogen dominance, poor or no progesterone production, excess pollutants acting like estrogen (xenoestrogens)

• PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) – leads to lack of ovulation (anovulation), poor egg maturation and hormone imbalances as described above

• Fibroids – benign growths that can protrude into the uterine cavity and prevent implantation of the fertilized egg

• Endometriosis – lumps of uterine lining that have escaped the uterus and fixed themselves onto structures inside the abdominal cavity.  These growths can enlarge in response to increases in hormones and cause severe pain.  They can also block ovaries and fallopian tubes leading to infertility.

• “Unexplained” – Factors that cannot be adequately measured fall into this category. Unexplained infertility may be due to poor uterine lining quality, antibodies rejecting the fertilized egg, maybe recurring miscarriages too early for a positive pregnancy test. 

• Male factor – poor sperm shape, low sperm count, poor sperm movement

My Naturopathic Treatment of Infertility

1. Correct hormone imbalances through proper diet and exercise

2. Aid liver detoxification of excess hormones and toxins

3. Herbs to enhance progesterone production

4. Anti-inflammatory herbs, hormone balancing and acupuncture to help with fibroids

5. Hormone balancing and acupuncture to help with endometriosis

6. Anti-inflammatory herbs to help with uterine lining quality, proper diet to help maintain a pregnancy

7. Herbs, antioxidants, acupuncture and liver detoxification to help with sperm count and quality

Benefits to My Treatment Approach

1. Healthier hormone balance

2. A cleaner system, free of toxins and pollutants

3. Overall improvement in reproductive health

4. Healthier uterine lining

5. Lower risk of miscarriage

6. A healthier body to support a growing baby

NEWS

Natural IVF shows potential in women of advanced age
Source: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 2008; 25: 163-7
Women of advanced age who have repeated stimulated IVF failure may respond to mature egg retrieval followed by natural, as opposed to stimulated, IVF.

Toshiki Matsuura and colleagues from Kato Ladies Clinic in Tokyo enrolled 33 women aged at least 37 years, at an average of 40.9 years, who had failed stimulated IVF treatment several times. Natural ovulation was confirmed via transvaginal ultrasound.  At 20 cycles, a single oocyte was retrieved from each patient, with a single embryo transferred at 16 cycles. In all cases, fertilization was performed using conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection using standard techniques.

In three cycles, the patients achieved ongoing pregnancy, defined as pregnancy progressing beyond week 9 of gestation, and delivered successfully with uneventful neonatal courses.  "In conclusion, treatment via natural IVF cycles may assist patients of advanced age who have failed to become pregnant after treatment via stimulated IVF cycles and who have regular ovulatory cycles," the team says.

Defects in folic acid metabolism are associated with unexplained female infertility

Fertility and Sterility 2009

Genetic variations in folic acid metabolism may account for some cases of unexplained infertility in women.  Supplementation with advanced forms of folic acid with B6, B12 and choline may help resolve some cases of infertility. 

Serum IL-6 Level May Have Role in the Pathophysiology of Unexplained Infertility

Significantly Higher IL-6 levels in women with unexplained infertility suggests that this cytokine may be involved in the pathophysiology of unexplained infertility.  American Journal of Reproductive Immunology Volume 62 Issue 4 (October 2009)

Scientists link flame retardants and reduced human fertility

Women exposed to high levels of flame retardants take substantially longer to get pregnant, indicating for the first time that the widespread chemicals may affect human fertility, according to a study published Tuesday. Epidemiologists from the University of California at Berkeley studied 223 pregnant women in California’s Salinas Valley, an agricultural community with predominantly low-income, Mexican immigrants. More than 97 percent of the women had PBDEs in their blood, and those with high levels were half as likely to conceive in any given month as the women with low levels.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here may not apply precisely to your individual situation. Diagnostic and therapeutic choices must always be tailored to the individual patient's circumstances, and consultation with a licensed naturopathic physician should be undertaken before following any of the treatment strategies suggested in this web site.