Gluten Intolerance

Celiacs disease is very common although not many people know about it. Celiacs is an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive system. People who have it, myself included, have an intolerance of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. This protein causes the small intestine to lose its ability to absorb nutrients. So if someone with celiacs is eating gluten, they are essentially becoming malnutritioned. The symptoms of celiacs disease are somewhat like having lactose intolerance. They include upset stomach, nuasea, headaches, and various other digestive issues. The syptoms are a little different for everyone. About 1 in 130 people have this intolerance in the United States, althought only about 3% of these people know about it. It cannot be cured, so you have it for life. To stay healthy you must simply eat a gluten free diet.

Since gluten is found mostly in wheat, it does limit your diet. You cannot eat regular bread, pasta, or foods made out of dough. No pizza, sandwiches, brownies, bagels, anything with breadcrubs or crust on it, etc. You also have to check ingredients to make sure you do not eat anything with maltodextrin or modified food starch in it. These ingredients can be found in anything from from potato chips, to frosting, to toothpaste. They are usually used as a filler in products and they contain gluten. You might think, well what can you eat?, since just about everything is made with some kind of wheat. A gluten free diet consists mostly of rice, potato, and corn products. Also fuits, vegetables, and protiens are okay. There are also a lot of gluten free products out there made from things like rice or tapioca flour. A few of them taste gross but most are good. Unfortunatley most gluten free products are pretty expensive. Nine dollars for a box of gluten free icecream cones isn't exactly cheap. This makes it hard for some people with this intolerance to eat gluten free. I think to make it easier to deal with this intolerance, gluten free food should cost less. Other than that, this diet is not really that hard to follow.

For more about celiacs go to:http://www.celiac.org/

In Vitro Fertilization

Infertility is a problem that most of us hardley ever think about. However, it affects millions of people in the United States alone. For some it can be emotionally and even financially devastaing. Infertility can be due either to the man or the woman for various reasons. He may have low sperm count, she may have blocked tubes, or have had an ovarian cyst. Some people are born infertile. The list goes on. Technology, however has made it possible for infertile couples to still concieve a child. There are various processes available to aid in the conpection of a baby. Among these forms of assisted reproduction is in vitro fertilization. You may be more familiar with the term "test tube baby." With in virto fetilization, a sperm and egg are combined in a laboratory and then placed back into the mother with hopes that implantation will occur and a fetus will grow. Above is an egg being injected with sperm by a needle. (image from Tyler Medical Clinic, 2001)

There are many difficulties with in vitro fertilization. For starters, it is very expensive. It can cost thousands of dollars for this procedure to be carried out once. In some cases it is performed a few times and the cost goes through the roof. Also, the chances of an infertile couple actually having a baby are slim. The chance of in vitro resulting in a baby after the first attempt is less than 30 percent (depending on age). If the first attempt fails, the second and third attempts have an even lower chance of success. Another problem that in vitro fertilization creates is the birth of multiples (twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.) To increase the chances that this procedure will work, several eggs are fertilized and placed back into the mother in the hopes that at least one will implant and result in a fetus. If more than one of these fertilized eggs implants, it results in the birth of multiples. This is dangerous to both the mother and the babies. The entire pregnancy and birth process are risky. Damage can easily be done to the mother and chances of birth defects are considerably higher.

Many ethical questions are raised as well since this process of concieving a child is obviously not natural. Many people think that doctors are playing the role of God by creating life. Some people think that this ability will lead to misuse. If we can do this then why can't we pick our child's eye color or height? Should we be allowed to genetically engineer our children? I think that in vitro fertilization is a fair option for young couples who have enough money to throw around. If you can afford to potentially lose thousands of dollars then why not give it a shot and try for a baby. If you do not have this kind of money it is a different situation. Many doctors will put pictures of babies all over thier offices and thankyou letters from previous patients who did concieve a child. This leads infertile couples to believe that they can have a baby too, even though in reality the chances are very small. This is false advertising in a way and is very misleading to a hopeful couple. I think that most couples do not give adoption enough consideration. In a lot of cases this is probably the best and most realistic choice. I think that in some ways it is better to adopt and love a baby that already exists than trying the extremes to bring a new one into the world.

For more details on in virto fertilization try: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm