European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Multiple worries Fertility drugs linked to Rise in twins triplets and premature births by Gordon Slovut Scripps Howard news service he number of multiple births has been climbing since the mid-1970s, when the use of Fertility drugs became commonplace in the United states. Much of the increase appears to be occurring among previously childless women older than 30 who believe they have no other Choice if they want to become mothers according to Fertility experts. But some studies show an increased risk of prematurity Low birth weight and longer hospitalization As Well As greater use of High technology equipment in cases of multiple births. Tom and Linda Evavold of Minneapolis Are among the couples who used Fertility drugs. The result was twins a a boy and a girl a born prematurely july 15. They weighed the growth in multiple births resulted in one elementary school in Illinois having 12 sets of twins and one of triplets. Alf the children were born Between 1979 and 1990. Slightly More than 3 pounds each. One twin Molly spent four weeks in the Hospital. The other Joseph who still receives extra oxygen while his damaged lungs repair themselves spent eight weeks Mother Linda 33, took two of the most popular Fertility drugs a Cloyid which did t help and personal which did. A \ y a a. 0 a v a a medical specialists say the use of Fertility drugs is Likely to continue to increase despite warnings about the risk of multiple births and evidence that the drugs May increase a woman s risk of ovarian cancer. Quot women think it s their Only shot Quot said or. Richard Kopher a croup health Fertility specialist. While the Chance of a multiple birth is about 1 in 100 for a woman not taking Fertility drugs it is six to eight times As great for a woman taking Cloyid and about 20 times higher for a woman taking personal. Both increase the Odds of Conception by increasing the number of eggs available for fertilization Cloyid is taken by Mouth and costs $30 to $40 a month. A study published recently in the new England journal of Medicine suggested that women who take it for a Long time Are two to three times As Likely As others to develop ovarian cancer. Personal which must be taken by injection costs about $2,000 a month for the drug arid medical monitoring. In an analysis of federally collected health data from .1973 to 1990, or. Barbara Luke a researcher at Rush medical College in Chicago found that the number of twin births in the United states increased 65 percent during the 17-year study period and the number of Triplet deliveries increased by 221 per cent. During the same period the number of single child births increased by about one third. By 1990, twins accounted for one in every 43 births and triplets represented one in every 1,341 births the study found. I. Luke said the increase in multiple births is important because it Means that More babies Are born with the health and developmental risks associated with prematurity As Well As with greater risks of subsequent illness and Early death compared to children in single births. A a by a a v a a a she said twins Are 1.7 times As Likely As single babies to be born with severe handicaps. Triplets Are almost three times As Likely to have debilitating physical problems. The Rise in multiple births has emphasized the need to improve two areas of medical care. Luke s report called for Quot comprehensive and aggressive prenatal care to assure the Best outcomes including adequate maternal  a a and the National Center for health statistics said the increase in multiple birth and premature birth survivals has Quot created a much greater need for medical and social services for infants of higher order multiple births and their  v. V i. The Washington Post contributed o this report a ,. An instructor in a prenatal program in Connecticut counsels a patient As part of an Effort to prevent premature births. Cancer faced with growing evidence that links Fertility drugs to ovarian cancer the National cancer Institute has begun organizing the nation s first Large scale examination of women who have been treated for infertility. Quot i think we Don t know enough to either be alarmed or complacent Quot said Louise Brinton head of the Institute s environmental studies Section. But she added Quot we would t be starting up the study if we weren t concerned about a possible  the link has been suggested by several studies Over die years but a study published last year in the new England journal of Medicine intensified the debate concerning the safety of Fertility drugs. \ that study which evaluated the risks to 3,837 women in Seattle treated for infertility Between 1974 and 1985, e the first to link ovarian cancer to a specific drug treatment. In this Case the authors found that women who took com iphone citrate known by its Brand name Cloyid during 12 or More menstrual cycles were .11 times Moie Likely to contract ovarian cancer a a disease that strikes one in 57 american women killing 60 percent of the women it strikes. Women who took the drug for less than a year seemed to beat no greater risk than tire rest of the population.,. / a a. A a a a a /. Brinton an epidemiologist said that Quot the consistency of the results Quot Between the Seattle study findings and previous studies has heightened concern Over the safety of these drugs although she Sard she preferred to Reserve judgment on their absolute risks until the Institute s study was completed. In response to the study a position paper by the american Fertility society noted that it has Long advocated that com iphone should be used for no More than six months. It also argued that this study like others did not pave a link Between Fertility drugs and ovarian cancer. Researchers for the National cancer Institute which partially funded the Seattle study will spend the next four Vars looking at the medical histories of 10,000 women  took Fertility drugs Between 19g7  first wit on the Market and the late 197.0s. \. A new Day steroid treatment helps american baby amaze doctors not by Janet Boyle Ominick Mazuera has amazed doctors by his surprising recovery from a premature birth Dominick son of Elizabeth and Alvaro Mazuera of Raf Edzell Scotland came into the world last March 31, seven weeks Early. But he was in such great shape that he was breathing on his own without the help of any medical machinery from the moment he was born. Doctors on standby with lifesaving breathing equipment had to pack it up unused and wheel it Back into a Corner. And after eight Days Dominick was sent Home with his parents because he was Quot too Well Quot to be kept in an intensive care unit for babies. A a a a a  a a / paediatricians believe that part of the reason Dominick was so robust was a series of shots they give mothers in premature labor. Special steroids a not anabolic a Are injected into the Mother pass through to the baby and help the developing lungs mature. White the treatment is no longer considered experimental it is still not widely used and the Mazuera were told they were among the first to use it. V. A. Quot. A. V but even Edns Idenna the treatment doctors say Dominick was in such great shape his Progress exceeded that of any other premature baby born at the Hospital. Despite his Early arrival Dominick weighed More than 5 pounds when he was born at nine Wells Hospital in Dundee. And his size. Continues to amaze doctors. Alvaro 34 and a Petty officer second class said Quot every time he goes Back to the Hospital for a routine Check up doctors Are stunned by his  at six months he had already quadrupled his birth weight. He was just under average weight for a year old baby when according to expected delivery dates he should be just Over four month old. A a. Quot he s  a a Mother Elizabeth smiled and added Quot the doctors want to know that we re feeding Dominick Mazuera is surrounded by his family a Mother Elizabeth father Alvaro and brother Andrey a in a photo taken Date last year. Dominick but he s a hungry boy with a big appetite. Quot when i went into labor very Early i expected to deliver a weak sickly baby. The doctors warned us that he might struggle to survive and that with the Best of medical technology he might make it but we never expected things to turn out so Well. R Quot i dare not think what size he would be if he had gone full term. Doctors assured me there was no mix up with the  or. William Tarnow Mordie senior paediatrician at the Hospital said that steroids help premature babies by helping them overcome breathing problems the biggest enemy of premature infants. Babies lungs do not mature until the 34th week of pregnancy. Until then they do not produce a substance that lubricates the at sacks and allows hem to expand and contract with breathing. A to counter this doctors inject the mothers with steroids that pass through the Placenta and into the baby s maturing lungs. Once babies develop the Means to breathe properly they have a better Chance of getting oxygen from their lungs to their brains and reducing the danger of brain damage during premature birth. Aivaro said the Mazuera were referred to Tarnow Mordie by their regular civilian doctor after Elizabeth s water broke Early and there was no sign of the baby. For three Days before the. Baby s birth a which came a week later a she was Given  every 12 hours. He said doctors told the parents the shots had Little risk1 in Dominick s Case the treatment worked exceptionally Well. Quot Dominick has done much better than we could Ever have expected Quot Tarnow Mordie said. Quot a baby that age even with steroid treatment would expect to be in Hospital fora few weeks after birth. Quot but this infant has exceeded our Best Hopes for  Quot. Alvaro a commissary worker , has been in Scotland for two years. The couple who a come from Jacksonville fla., have another son who is now 3 a and weighed a healthy 8v2 pounds at birth. 1 Janet Boj o is a free Lance Anier i eng in g Askow scat and a 16 the stars and stripes tues Jon Ory 17 1995 the stars and stripes 17