Impact Of Stress On Male Fertility Highlighted By Fetal Study

Researchers from Medical Research Council and the University of Edinburgh investigated the connection between proneness of a man to stress hormones (glucocorticoids) during fetal period and his fertility in adult life. Because of involvement of environmental factors, the impact of stress hormones was studied in combination with other chemicals used in production of paints, glues, and plastics. They found that the combination dramatically increased the probability of reproductive birth defects in men and believe that the research can help explain increasing rates of birth defects in male babies and decrease them in future. The possible birth defects include the most common ones for male babies, such as cryptorchidism (when the testicles fail to descend, during fetal development) and hypospadias (abnormally placed urinary opening), which can result in reproduction problems in adult men. The research was based on study of male fetal development in rats. Dr Mandy Drake, at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Cardiovascular Science, accentuated that their study proved that the combination of negative environmental and lifestyle factors have a greater impact on the likelihood of abnormalities. Isolated, stress hormones did not produce so negative effect on male fetal development on their own, though increased stress resulted in lower birth weights. The negative impact from chemicals used in the study was observed, but not as serious as in combination with stress hormones. The conclusion suggests itself: while both negative factors should be avoided during pregnancy, in combination they may entail serious abnormalities in male babies.

SOURCE: Tara Womersley University of Edinburgh