NaProTechnology: A Medical Breakthrough in Infertility Treatment
NaProTechnology is a new reproductive science uses the
physician's medical and surgical energies in a way that works
cooperatively with a woman's natural reproductive function.
Created at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human
Reproduction in Omaha, Nebraska, it is touted as a revolutionary
breakthrough for helping couples who desire to achieve a
pregnancy naturally. This article is a review of information
from a new DVD called New Hope For Infertility With
NaProTechnology, that does an excellent job of presenting some
simple facts about the differences between NaProTechnology and
the Artificial Reproductive Techniques (ART) that are currently
in widespread (e.g., In Vitro Fertilization [IVF]) use.
NaProTechnology is not just an alternative for couples who
object to ART for moral reasons, but rather, it should be
considered the rational choice anyone who is in serious need of
medical and possibly even surgical attention for a real medical
problem affecting reproduction.
Best of all, because the focus of NaProTechnology is diagnosis
and treatment, it avoids the need for conception to occur by any
means other than the natural way It goes without saying that
once a medical problem has been diagnosed and treated, this has
important health benefits that can be realized during the
pregnancy and well beyond. For the same reasons, women who get
pregnant as a result of NaProTechnology are frequently able get
pregnant again.
Here is a summary of what is presented:
Artificial Reproductive Technology: (a) ignores the underlying
causes of infertility; (b) is associated with a multiple
pregnancy rate of 35.4% (CDC Data); (c) is more than twice as
likely to result in a child with a major birth defect: 9% versus
4.2% (New England Journal of Medicine); (d) recent studies
suggest that ART may also be associated with higher rates of low
birth weight infants, cancer, and even developmental issues; (e)
ART sometimes requires "selective reduction," which involves
selectively "reducing" (i.e., killing) additional babies in the
womb when there are too many.
NaProTechnology and The Creighton Model System The Creighton
Model System is a standardized gynecologic charting system that
is an integral part of NaProTechnology. Without the Creighton
Model System, the physician who practices NaProTechnology would
have inadequate information for the diagnosis and treatment of
reproductive problems. Usually, a couple would start this
program by learning how to chart the menstrual cycle according
to the Creighton Model system. A medical consultation with a
physician who is trained in NaProTechnology can be conducted at
the same time. Frequently, the evaluation of infertility will
include a targeted hormone evaluation of the menstrual cycle and
an ultrasound series to evaluate ovarian function (this cannot
be done without the Creighton Model System). A surgical
evaluation is sometimes needed as part of a complete
investigation.
The bottom line is that these techniques result in a
"functional" and/or "structural" diagnosis that can then be
addressed medically or surgically and the end result is natural
conception.
Unfortunately, because of ART, we are led to believe that there
is a "quick fix" for infertility. In reality, ART, doesn't
address the cause of infertility at all and does nothing to
correct medical problems that might also affect the outcome of a
pregnancy. Even worse, the conceptual, perinatal, and
developmental implications and dangers associated with
conception in a laboratory, it seems, are only now becoming
appreciated.
According the Pope Paul VI Institute, NaProTechnology success
rates are 1.5 to 3 times better than IVF (23.5% versus
38.4%-81.8%).
More information on this new DVD can be found in the
NaProTechnology Communications Update of March 18, 2005 at:
www.saintmaxworldwide.org/projects.asp
About the author:
David Picella helps couples who are trying to conceive naturally
without the use of expensive artificial reproductive techniques.
You can read more articles published by him and by other experts
in this area at: http://www.majella.us