When Shilpa Shetty Kundra opened up about suffering from an autoimmune condition: ‘I had a couple of miscarriages'
'After Viaan, I did want to have another child for the longest time. But I suffered from an autoimmune disease called APLA, and that came into play every time I got pregnant. So I had a couple of miscarriages, so it was a genuine issue,' she told Pinkvilla in 2020.
'I didn't want Viaan to grow up as a single child, because I'm also one of two, and I know how important it is to have a sibling. Coming from that thought, I did explore other ideas as well, but that didn't pan out well. At a time when I wanted to adopt, I had put in my name, and everything was underway. But then, the Christian missionary shut down because they had a tiff with CARA. I waited for nearly four years, and then I was so irritated and we decided to try the surrogacy route,' said Shilpa Shetty.
But what exactly is ALPA, and how does it affect a woman's chances of full-term pregnancy?
Dr Surabhi Siddhartha, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Kharghar, explained that APLA is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks normal proteins in the blood, leading to abnormal blood clotting.
'This condition becomes especially concerning, mainly during pregnancy, as it can cause clots in the placenta, reducing blood flow to the baby. Unfortunately, this causes repeated miscarriages, stillbirths, or complications like preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Women with APLA often don't realise they have it until they experience recurrent pregnancy losses or unexplained blood clots,' said Dr Surabhi.
Dr Rashmi Niphadkar, fertility specialist at Nova IVF Fertility, Baner, Pune, explained that there may be issues with the embryo getting implanted in the uterus, and women with APLA may also have low quantities and quality of eggs. 'In men, the antibodies may have been linked to penile and testicular abnormalities,' said Dr Rashmi.
Diagnosis is done through blood tests. 'Early diagnosis of APLA is critical, and this becomes crucial especially when planning for pregnancy. If women are repeatedly having miscarriages, it is ideal to consult a fertility specialist who can further check if any autoimmune disorder test is needed,' said Dr Rashmi.
With proper treatment consisting of blood thinners, many women with APLA can conceive successfully and fulfill the dream of motherhood, emphasised Dr Surabhi. 'Moreover, women should keep in mind that it is necessary to inform their doctor about any history of miscarriage, clotting, or autoimmune conditions. Close monitoring and early diagnosis can make a big difference and help with successful conception,' Dr Surabhi noted.
Women with APLA should be under the care of a high-risk pregnancy specialist to ensure both mother and baby stay healthy.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Ohio couple welcomes baby born from embryo frozen 31 years ago
An Ohio couple has given birth to a baby boy developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years, which their doctor believes may be the longest-known storage time before a successful birth. Lindsey and Tim Pierce, who struggled with infertility for years, turned to embryo adoption in hopes of starting a family. As per CNN, they welcomed a son born from an embryo that had been frozen for 11,148 days. According to Dr. John Gordon of Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, Tennessee, who oversaw the procedure, that storage time appears to set a new record. What is embryo adoption? Embryo adoption is a process in which individuals or couples adopt donated embryos left over from another couple's in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Unlike traditional adoption, it allows the adoptive mother to carry and give birth to a genetically unrelated child. Although the concept dates back to the 1990s, it remains relatively rare. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2% of all U.S. births are the result of IVF, and only a small portion of those involve donated embryos. Medical experts estimate that around 1.5 million frozen embryos are currently stored across the country, many in limbo, awaiting a decision from their genetic parents. Some fertility clinics and advocacy groups, particularly Christian-based organizations, have become vocal opponents of discarding frozen embryos, citing a belief that life begins at conception. Among them is Snowflakes Embryo Adoption, a program under Nightlight Christian Adoptions that connects embryo donors and adoptive families. 'These little embryos deserved to live.' Linda Archerd, 62, is the woman who donated the embryos that led to the Pierces' baby. Speaking with The Associated Press, she said, 'I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did.' Archerd turned to IVF back in 1994. At the time, techniques for freezing, thawing, and transferring embryos were gaining traction and offering hopeful parents more chances at successful pregnancy. She ended up with four embryos but only used one after giving birth to a daughter. Following a divorce, her plans for more children shifted. As decades passed, Archerd said she wrestled with the decision of what to do with the remaining embryos. Storage fees mounted, and the emotional toll weighed heavy. Eventually, she discovered Snowflakes, which helped facilitate an open donation. 'I wanted to be a part of this baby's life,' she said. 'And I wanted to know the adopting parents.' The process wasn't easy. Archerd had to track down her original fertility doctor in Oregon and navigate paper records to prepare the embryos for donation. The embryos were then shipped to Rejoice Fertility in Tennessee — a clinic known for its refusal to discard embryos, even those stored in older and outdated containers. Delicate transfer Of the three embryos Archerd donated, one did not survive the thawing process. The remaining two were transferred into Lindsey Pierce's uterus, and one successfully implanted. Following the birth, Lindsey and Tim Pierce issued a statement through: 'We didn't go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby.' For Archerd, the outcome has been bittersweet. 'I'm hoping that they're going to send pictures,' she said. 'I'd love to meet them some day. That would be a dream come true to meet — meet them and the baby.' So far, the Pierces have sent several photos since the birth. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
India.com
2 days ago
- India.com
Worlds Oldest Baby? Boy Born To Ohio Couple From Embryo Frozen Over 30 Years Ago
In a remarkable and heartwarming event, a baby boy was born from an embryo that was frozen over 30 years ago. The child was born to Lindsey and Tim Pierce, a couple from Ohio, United States, on Saturday. The embryo, preserved since the early 1990s, marks an impressive milestone for reproductive medicine. According to a BBC report, this is believed to be the longest an embryo has been frozen before leading to a successful live birth. The rare case highlights the remarkable achievement and advancement in fertility science. Adoption Of 30-Year-Old Embryo Lindsey and Tim Pierce had been trying to have a child for seven years before deciding to adopt a frozen embryo. The BBC further reported, the embryo was created in 1994 through IVF by Linda Archerd (62). She and her then-husband had created four embryos, one of which led to the birth of their daughter, now 30 years old. The remaining three embryos were frozen and stored for decades, one of which has now resulted in the birth of Lindsey and Tim's baby boy. Linda separated from her husband; however, she wanted to be involved with the baby that would be born from her embryos. Thus, she kept the embryos in storage until she found a Christian embryo adoption agency. According to the BBC, Linda told MIT Technology Review that she wanted her embryos to be adopted by a Caucasian married and Christian couple from the US. The baby boy has been named Thaddeus Daniel Pierce. The birth of Thaddeus could bring hope to countless families seeking alternative paths to parenthood. Significance of IVF Treatment The IVF treatment has, for a long time, made the dreams of many people of becoming parents come true. Speaking of the treatment's procedure, according to an ANI report, the In-vitro fertilization means that eggs are taken from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm outside of the body in an IVF centre lab. Meanwhile, as per IANS, scientists in the UK used a three-person IVF technique to bring to life eight children and spared them from genetic mitochondrial disease. The infants, four girls and four boys, including one set of identical twins, were born using DNA from three people.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
World's oldest baby: Boy born from 1994 embryo in 2025; Ohio couple celebrates IVF milestone
A baby born in Ohio may have broken a world record, after developing from an embryo that was frozen for over 30 years before being successfully transferred. Lindsey and Tim Pierce welcomed their son last Saturday through embryo adoption, using one of a set of embryos donated back in 1994. The embryo that led to the birth had been stored for 11,148 days, a timespan that doctors say marks the longest an embryo has been frozen before resulting in a live birth. Embryo adoption, though still relatively uncommon, is attracting greater attention. Some fertility clinics and Christian adoption agencies support the practice as an alternative to discarding unused embryos, based on the belief that life begins at or near conception and that embryos deserve a chance to be born. 'I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did,' said Linda Archerd, 62, who originally donated the embryos to the Pierces. In the United States, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) accounts for just about 2% of all births, and an even smaller portion involve embryos donated by other families. Yet experts say about 1.5 million embryos are currently frozen in storage across the country, many left unused while families decide what to do next. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo The issue has become even more complex following a 2024 ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, which declared that frozen embryos should be considered the legal equivalent of children. While a temporary law now protects fertility clinics from liability in the state, uncertainty continues over what the future holds for unused embryos. Archerd turned to IVF in the 1990s, a time when advances in freezing, thawing, and transferring embryos were just beginning to offer more hopeful outcomes. After giving birth to her daughter, her plans to grow her family changed following a divorce. As the years went by and storage costs continued to mount, she found herself torn over what to do with the remaining embryos. Her search eventually led her to Snowflakes, a branch of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which helps arrange embryo adoptions and gives donors the option to choose adoptive families and stay in touch with them, CNN reported. 'I wanted to be a part of this baby's life,' Archerd said. 'And I wanted to know the adopting parents.' The process wasn't easy. Archerd had to contact her original clinic in Oregon and retrieve old paper records to authorise the donation. The embryos were then carefully shipped to Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, Tennessee, a clinic known for working with long-frozen embryos and refusing to discard any, regardless of age. Of the three embryos sent to the Pierces, one didn't survive the thawing process. Two were transferred to Lindsey's womb, but only one implanted successfully. John David Gordon, who oversaw the transfer, said the successful birth from a nearly 31-year-old embryo now breaks the previous record, also set at his clinic, when twins Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born from embryos frozen for 10,905 days. 'I think that these stories catch the imagination,' Gordon said. 'But I think they also provide a little bit of a cautionary tale to say: Why are these embryos sitting in storage? You know, why do we have this problem?' Lindsey and Tim Pierce weren't aiming to break records, CNN cited the couple. 'We didn't go into this thinking about records, we just wanted to have a baby,' Lindsey said in a statement. For Archerd, the experience has been emotional, a blend of happiness that her embryos finally found a home, sadness that it wasn't with her, and hope for a connection with the child she helped bring into the world. 'I'm hoping that they're going to send pictures,' she said. 'I'd love to meet them some day. That would be a dream come true to meet, meet them and the baby.'
