Stress exposure in womb could trigger male infertility

To determine the alarming effects of stress during pregnancy, a team from the University of Edinburgh and Medical Research Council, UK, exposed rats to stress hormones-glucocorticoids-combined with a common chemical used in glues, paints and plastics.

The researchers gave phthalates, a plastic-softening chemical found in shower curtains, credit cards etc., to the pregnant rats while some of the rats were also injected with a stress hormone.

Study’s findings
The findings of the study suggest that the stress hormone and the chemical hugely affected the development of baby rats in the womb.

The researchers also noted that eight to 12 weeks of pregnancy are very crucial for the male reproductive development because a reproductive hormone called testosterone is produced during this period.

An exposure to stress will only hinder the proper growth of testosterone which can affect development of male reproductive organs and fertility in their later life.

“What the study shows is that it is not simply a case of one factor in isolation contributing to abnormalities in male development but a combination of both lifestyle and environmental factors, which together have a greater impact,” said Dr Mandy Drake of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, UK.

"In most studies reproductive disorders are only seen after abnormally high levels of exposure to chemicals, which most humans are not exposed to.

“Our study suggests that additional exposure to stress, which is a part of everyday life, may increase the risk of these disorders and could mean that lower levels of chemicals are required to cause adverse affects.”

Further scope of the study
The researchers are speculating that the study could explain the reason behind the birth of babies born with reproductive defects such as un-descended testicles which can lead to infertility, cryptorchidism, when the testes fail to drop, and hypospadias, when the urinary tract is not aligned correctly.

The study’s findings appear in the journal Endocrinology.