Washington: Stress during early pregnancy is linked to reduced reproductive function in male offspring, a recent study suggests. The findings suggest that men, whose mothers were exposed to stressful life during the first 18 weeks of pregnancy, may have reduced sperm counts when they become adults.
The research suggested that the initial months of pregnancy is when male reproductive organs are at their most vulnerable stage of development. As part of the study, the researchers studied 643 young men aged 20 and found that those who were exposed to at least one stressful life event inside their mother’s womb during early gestation (0-18 weeks) had worse sperm quality and lower testosterone concentrations than those who were not exposed, or who were exposed during later gestation, between 18-34 weeks.
The findings come from Western Australia’s Raine Study, a multi-generational study that recruited nearly 3000 women in their 18th week of pregnancy in the period between May 1989 and November 1991. The mothers completed questionnaires at 18 and 34 weeks’ gestation, and each survey included questions about stressful life events during the preceding four months of pregnancy.
A total of 2868 children (1454 boys) were born to 2804 mothers and were followed by the researchers. When they reached 20, up to 643 young men underwent a testicular ultrasound examination and provided semen and blood samples for analysis.
The researchers found that 63 per cent of the men had been exposed to at least one stressful life event in early gestation, while fewer stressful life events occurred in late gestation. Those who were exposed to stressful life events in early gestation had lower total sperm counts, fewer sperms that could swim well and lower concentrations of testosterone than those exposed to no events.
