#reproduction
Molar Pregnancy (Hydatidiform Mole)
Molar pregnancy is an abnormal form of pregnancy in which a non-viable fertilized egg implants in the uterus and will fail to come to term (will not develop into a child). Instead, the cells divide and replicate into a growing mass (mole) of non-foetal tissue.
Molar pregnancy is a gestational trophoblastic disease in which a non-viable egg grows into a mass (tumour) in the uterus that has swollen chorionic villi.
- Can develop when a fertilized egg does not contain an original maternal nucleus.
- Usually contains no foetal tissue.
- Characterized by the presence of a hydatidiform mole (or hydatid mole).
- Approximately 20% of women with a complete mole develop a trophoblastic malignancy (malignant disease // cancer)
Complete hydatidiform moles have a 2–4% risk of developing into choriocarcinoma in Western countries and 10–15% in Eastern countries, and have a 15% risk of becoming an invasive mole.
Molar pregnancies make up 1 in 1,000 pregnancies in the US and up to 1 in 100 pregnancies in parts of Asia.
Symptoms
- Vaginal bleeding- molar tissue separates from the decidua, causing bleeding.
- Uterus may become distended by large amounts of blood, and dark fluid may leak into the vagina.
- Hyperemesis - severe nausea and vomiting due to very high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
- Hyperthyroidism - thyroid gland is stimulated by the high levels of circulating hCG or by a thyroid stimulating substance (ie, thyrotropin) produced by the trophoblasts.
Partial mole
Partial moles do not generate the same clinical features as a complete mole. Patients instead present with signs and symptoms consistent with an incomplete or missed abortion, including vaginal bleeding and absence of foetal heartbeat.
King spider orchid
The red ‘lip’ of a king spider orchid (Caladenia pectinata) attracts wasps who, thinking that it’s a mate, rub against it and take away pollen to fertilise another flower.
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Over at Penny Arcade, guest artists are taking turns drawing comic strips around the theme of “The Talk”. So far, they have ones by Abby Howard (Junior Scientist Power Hour), Scott Kurtz(PvP),Bill Amend (Foxtrot),Tavis Maiden (Tenko King), Erika Moen (Oh Joy, Sex Toy), Amy T. Falcone (Clique Refresh).
Mike and Jerry’s comic starts it off. Move forward from there.
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Why Males Are Biology’s Riskier Sex
This may be surprising to some: A woman’s age is not alone in affecting pregnancy and birth, despite the impression often given.
Reviewing Paul Raeburn’s book Do Fathers Matter?, Tabitha Powledge wrote:
“Everybody knows that older mothers run higher risks of a baby with birth defects — Down syndrome being the most common and best-known. By comparison, hardly anybody knows that the older Dad gets, the riskier it is for him to conceive a child.”
Partners age together, so a fetus or baby with an older mother will mostly have an older father, too. Logic demands exploration of age effects in both sexes. Though few and far between, such studies do indeed reveal that both men and women contribute.
With Down syndrome, age effects for fathers and mothers are roughly balanced.Butnew data clearly show that, when it comes to inherited defects, fathers actually carry greater risks than mothers. Random changes in DNA — mutations — accumulate four times faster in sperms than in eggs.
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Men are cute. And often, they’re great.
But let’s face it—males are probably not the best source of info on your fertility. Heck, many of us women don’t know all the ins and outs of our fertility, either!
We have compiled some highly scientific proof:
Glow knows. And that doesn’t make your man any less fine! In fact, with Glow, you’ll both be prepared for smart sex: the best kind ;)
