Unexplained fertility simply means that your medical professionals cannot find any medical explanation for why you are having fertility issues. When facing a diagnosis of infertility a couple will usually have been trying for a year or more to get pregnant with no results, confirm a history of ovulation and an assessment of the fallopian tubes and uterus and a semen analysis to rule out all the physical possibilities. If all three tests come back normally and the couple has not been able to become pregnant within a year, a diagnosis of unexplained infertility is usually made. However, it doesn't mean that there is no reason for the infertility, just that the reason is unidentified at that time.
In reality, there are probably hundreds of "causes" of infertility. What this means is that there are a lot of things that have to happen perfectly in order to conceive and have a baby. As a simplified example:
• The hormones that stimulate egg development must be made in the brain and pituitary and be released properly
• The egg must be of sufficient quality and be chromosomally normal
• The egg must develop to maturity
• The brain must release a sufficient surge of the LH hormone to stimulate final maturation of the egg
• The follicle must rupture and release the follicular fluid and the egg
• The tube must "pick up" the egg
• The sperm must survive their brief visit in the vagina, enter the cervical mucous, swim to the fallopian tube and "find" the egg
• The sperm must be able to get through the cumulus cells around the egg and bind the shell (zona pellucida) of the egg
• The sperm must undergo a biochemical reaction and release their DNA package (23 chromosomes) into the egg
• The fertilized egg must be able to divide
• The early embryo must continue to divide and develop normally
• After 3 days, the tube should have transported the embryo into the uterus
• The embryo must continue to develop into a blastocyst
• The blastocyst must hatch from its shell
• The endometrial lining of the uterus must be properly developed and receptive
• The hatched blastocyst must attach to the endometrial lining and "implant"
• Many more miracles in early embryonic and fetal development must then follow...
A weak link anywhere in chain can this cause failure to conceive
Of the couples seeking reproductive assistance and having no luck, 10-15% experience unexplained infertility. There are explanations and effective treatments for "Unexplained Infertility." For more information Click for Article "Explaining Unexplained Infertility and it's Treatment." |