Showing papers on "Fertility published in 2011"

Births: final data for 2009.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES This report presents 2009 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Data are presented for maternal characteristics including age, live-birth order, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, hypertension during pregnancy, attendant at birth, method of delivery, and infant characteristics (period of gestation, birthweight, and plurality). Birth and fertility rates by age, live-birth order, race and Hispanic origin, and marital status also are presented. Selected data by mother's state of residence are shown, as well as birth rates by age and race of father. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted. METHODS Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 4.13 million births that occurred in 2009 are presented. Denominators for population-based rates are postcensal estimates derived from the U.S. 2000 census. RESULTS The number of births declined to 4,130,665 in 2009, 3 percent less than in 2008. The general fertility rate declined 3 percent to 66.7 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. The teenage birth rate fell 6 percent to 39.1 per 1,000. Birth rates for women in each 5-year age group from 20 through 39 years declined, but the rate for women 40-44 years continued to rise. The total fertility rate (estimated number of births over a woman's lifetime) was down 4 percent to 2,007.0 per 1,000 women. The number and rate of births to unmarried women declined, whereas the percentage of nonmarital births increased slightly to 41.0. The cesarean delivery rate rose again, to 32.9 percent. The preterm birth rate declined to 12.18 percent; the low birthweight rate was stable at 8.16 percent. The twin birth rate increased to 33.2 per 1,000; the triplet and higher-order multiple birth rate rose 4 percent to 153.5 per 100,000.

Economic Recession and Fertility in the Developed World

Abstract: This article reviews research on the effects of economic recessions on fertility in the developed world. We study how economic downturns, as measured by various indicators, especially by declining GDP levels, falling consumer confidence, and rising unemployment, were found to affect fertility. We also discuss particular mechanisms through which the recession may have influenced fertility behavior, including the effects of economic uncertainty, falling income, changes in the housing market, and rising enrollment in higher education, and also factors that influence fertility indirectly such as declining marriage rates. Most studies find that fertility tends to be pro-cyclical and often rises and declines with the ups and downs of the business cycle. Usually, these aggregate effects are relatively small (typically, a few percentage points) and of short durations; in addition they often influence especially the timing of childbearing and in most cases do not leave an imprint on cohort fertility levels. Therefore, major long-term fertility shifts often continue seemingly uninterrupted during the recession—including the fertility declines before and during the Great Depression of the 1930s and before and during the oil shock crises of the 1970s. Changes in the opportunity costs of childbearing and fertility behavior during economic downturn vary by sex, age, social status, and number of children; childless young adults are usually most affected. Furthermore, various policies and institutions may modify or even reverse the relationship between recessions and fertility. The first evidence pertaining to the recent recession falls in line with these findings. In most countries, the recession has brought a decline in the number of births and fertility rates, often marking a sharp halt to the previous decade of rising fertility rates.

The Effect of Female Education on Fertility and Infant Health: Evidence from School Entry Policies Using Exact Date of Birth

Abstract: This paper uses age-at-school-entry policies to identify the effect of female education on fertility and infant health. We focus on sharp contrasts in schooling, fertility, and infant health between women born just before and after the school entry date. School entry policies affect female education and the quality of a woman's mate and have generally small, but possibly heterogeneous, effects on fertility and infant health. We argue that school entry policies manipulate primarily the education of young women at risk of dropping out of school.

Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less than Boys? Evidence and implications for Child Health in India

Abstract: Breastfeeding is negatively correlated with future fertility because nursing temporarily reduces fecundity and because mothers usually wean on becoming pregnant again. We model breastfeeding under son-biased fertility preferences and show that breastfeeding duration increases with birth order, especially near target family size; is lowest for daughters and children without older brothers because their parents try again for a son; and exhibits the largest gender gap near target family size, when gender is most predictive of subsequent fertility. Data from India confirm each prediction. Moreover, child survival exhibits similar patterns, especially in settings where the alternatives to breastmilk are unsanitary.

Why do men seek status? Fitness payoffs to dominance and prestige

Abstract: In many human societies, high male social status associates with higher fertility, but the means by which status increases lifetime fitness have not been systematically investigated. We analyse the pathways by which male status begets reproductive success in a small-scale, Amerindian society. Men who are more likely to win a dyadic physical confrontation, i.e. dominant men, have higher intra-marital fertility for their age, and men with more community-wide influence, i.e. prestigious men, exhibit both higher intra-marital fertility and lower offspring mortality. Both forms of status elicit support from allies and deference from competitors, but high status men are not provisioned more than their peers. Prestigious but not dominant men marry wives who first give birth at earlier ages, which multivariate analysis suggests is the strongest pathway between status and fitness in this population. Furthermore, men are motivated to pursue status because of fitness gains both within and outside of marital unions: dominant and prestigious men have more in-pair surviving offspring as well as more extra-marital affairs.

The Historical Fertility Transition: A Guide for Economists

Abstract: The historical fertility transition is the process by which much of Europe and North America went from high to low fertility in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This transformation is central to recent accounts of long-run economic growth. Prior to the transition, women bore as many as eight children each, and the elasticity of fertility with respect to incomes was positive. Today, many women have no children at all, and the elasticity of fertility with respect to incomes is zero or even negative. This paper discusses the large literature on the historical fertility transition, focusing on what we do and do not know about the process. I stress some possible misunderstandings of the demographic literature, and discuss an agenda for future work. ( JEL I12, J13, N30)

Fertility-sparing surgery in patients with cervical cancer

Abstract: There are several types of fertility saving procedures that can be done in patients with cervical cancer, which differ in terms of surgical approach and extent of paracervical resection. This review assesses oncological and pregnancy results after different procedures. The oncological results of vaginal radical trachelectomies (VRT) and abdominal radical trachelectomies (ART) are similar for tumours less than 2 cm in size, and are now considered safe surgical procedures. Oncological outcomes of VRT and ART in tumours larger than 2 cm are also identical, but the results cannot be considered satisfactory. Preliminary findings of less radical procedures (ie, deep cone and simple trachelectomy) in patients with tumours less than 2 cm, and negative sentinel and other pelvic lymph nodes, are comparable with the results of VRT and ART. Downstaging tumours larger than 2 cm by neoadjuvant chemotherapy is still an experimental procedure and will need multicentre cooperation to verify its oncological safety. Pregnancy results vary statistically with the different methods.

Advanced Reproductive Age and Fertility

Abstract: Objective To improve awareness of the natural age-related decline in female and male fertility with respect to natural fertility and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and provide recommendations for their management, and to review investigations in the assessment of ovarian aging. Options This guideline reviews options for the assessment of ovarian reserve and fertility treatments using ART with women of advanced reproductive age presenting with infertility. Outcomes The outcomes measured are the predictive value of ovarian reserve testing and pregnancy rates with natural and assisted fertility. Evidence Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed or Medline, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library in June 2010, using appropriate key words (ovarian aging, ovarian reserve, advanced maternal age, advanced paternal age, ART). Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials/controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. There were no date or language restrictions. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated into the guideline to December 2010. Values The quality of evidence was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. Recommendations for practice were ranked according to the method described in that report (Table). Benefits, harms, and costs Primary and specialist health care providers and women will be better informed about ovarian aging and the age-related decline in natural fertility and about options for assisted reproductive technology. Recommendations 1.Women in their 20s and 30s should be counselled about the agerelated risk of infertility when other reproductive health issues, such as sexual health or contraception, are addressed as part of their primary well-woman care. Reproductive-age women should be aware that natural fertility and assisted reproductive technology success (except with egg donation) is significantly lower for women in their late 30s and 40s. (II-2A) 2.Because of the decline in fertility and the increased time to conception that occurs after the age of 35, women>35 years of age should be referred for infertility work-up after 6 months of trying to conceive. (III-B) 3.Ovarian reserve testing may be considered for women≥35 years of age or for women 4.Ovarian reserve testing prior to assisted reproductive technology treatment may be used for counselling but has a poor predictive value for non-pregnancy and should be used to exclude women from treatment only if levels are significantly abnormal. (II-2A) 5.Pregnancy rates for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation are low for women>40 years of age. Women>40 years should consider IVF if they do not conceive within 1 to 2 cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. (II-2B) 6.The only effective treatment for ovarian aging is oocyte donation. A woman with decreased ovarian reserve should be offered oocyte donation as an option, as pregnancy rates associated with this treatment are significantly higher than those associated with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation or in vitro fertilization with a woman's own eggs. (II-2B) 7.Women should be informed that the risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss and chromosomal abnormalities increases with age. Women should be counselled about and offered appropriate prenatal screening once pregnancy is established. (II-2A) 8.Pre-conception counselling regarding the risks of pregnancy with advanced maternal age, promotion of optimal health and weight, and screening for concurrent medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes should be considered for women>age 40. (III-B) 9.Advanced paternal age appears to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and increased frequency of some autosomal dominant conditions, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia. Men>age 40 and their partners should be counselled about these potential risks when they are seeking pregnancy, although the risks remain small. (II-2C)

Low use of contraception among poor women in Africa: an equity issue

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of contraception in 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa; to assess changes in met need for contraception associated with wealth-related inequity; and to describe the relationship between the use of long-term versus short-term contraceptive methods and a woman's fertility intentions and household wealth. METHODS: The analysis was conducted with Demographic and Health Survey data from 13 sub-Saharan African countries. Wealth-related inequities in the use of contraception were calculated using household wealth and concentration indices. Logistic regression models were fitted for the likelihood of using a long-term contraceptive method, with adjustments for: wealth index quintile, fertility intentions (to space births versus to stop childbearing), residence (urban/rural), education, number of living children, marital status and survey year. FINDINGS: The use of contraception has increased substantially between surveys in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia but has declined slightly in Kenya, Senegal and Uganda. Wealth-related inequalities in the met need for contraception have decreased in most countries and especially so in Mozambique, but they have increased in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia with regard to spacing births, and in Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia with regard to limiting childbearing. After adjustment for fertility intention, women in the richest wealth quintile were more likely than those in the poorest quintile to practice long-term contraception. CONCLUSION: Family planning programmes in sub-Saharan Africa show varying success in reaching all social segments, but inequities persist in all countries.

Fertility preservation in women--a practical guide to preservation techniques and therapeutic strategies in breast cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma and borderline ovarian tumours by the fertility preservation network FertiPROTEKT.

Abstract: Fertility preservation methods are playing an increasing role in women up to the age of 40 years because of rising survival rates in those affected by cancer. However, balanced practical recommendations concerning all relevant fertility preservation, to support doctors in counselling and treating patients, are still rare. These recommendations were prepared by the network FertiPROTEKT ( http://www.fertiprotect.eu ), a collaboration of around 70 centres in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The recommendations were developed by specialists in reproductive medicine, reproductive biology and oncology, which gave a comprehensive overview of all named techniques as well as their benefits and risks. Furthermore, practice-orientated recommendations for the individual use of fertility preservation methods for various indications such as breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and borderline ovarian tumours are given. Various options such as ovarian stimulation and cryopreservation of unfertilised or fertilised oocytes, cryopreservation and transplantation of ovarian tissue, GnRH-agonist administration and transposition of the ovaries can be offered. All the techniques can be performed alone or in combination within a maximum of 2 weeks with low risk and different success rates. Fertility preservation in women has become an option with realistic chances to become pregnant after cytotoxic therapies. The information provided allows a well balanced and realistic counselling and treatment.

The relationship between anogenital distance, fatherhood, and fertility in adult men.

Abstract: Background: Anogenital distance (AGD), a sexually dimorphic measure of genital development, is a marker for endocrine disruption in animal studies and may be shorter in infant males with genital anomalies. Given the correlation between anogenital distance and genital development, we sought to determine if anogenital distance varied in fertile compared to infertile adult men. Methods: A cross sectional study of consecutive men being evaluated for infertility and men with proven fertility was recruited from an andrology clinic. Anogenital distance (the distance from the posterior aspect of the scrotum to the anal verge) and penile length (PL) were measured using digital calipers. ANOVA and linear regression were used to determine correlations between AGD, fatherhood status, and semen analysis parameters (sperm density, motility, and total motile sperm count). Findings: A total of 117 infertile men (mean age: 35.3 17.4) and 56 fertile men (mean age: 44.8 9.7) were recruited. The infertile men possessed significantly shorter mean AGD and PL compared to the fertile controls (AGD: 31.8 vs 44.6 mm, PL: 107.1 vs 119.5 mm, p0.01). The difference in AGD persisted even after accounting for ethnic and anthropomorphic differences. In addition to fatherhood, on both unadjusted and adjusted linear regression, AGD was significantly correlated with sperm density and total motile sperm count. After adjusting for demographic and reproductive variables, for each 1 cm increase in a man’s AGD, the sperm density increases by 4.3 million sperm per mL (95% CI 0.53, 8.09, p 0.03) and the total motile sperm count increases by 6.0 million sperm (95% CI 1.34, 10.58, p 0.01). On adjusted analyses, no correlation was seen between penile length and semen parameters. Conclusion: A longer anogenital distance is associated with fatherhood and may predict normal male reproductive potential. Thus, AGD may provide a novel metric to assess reproductive potential in men. Editorial Comment: This is a clever idea. You can often determine the gender of an animal by AGD, so might this metric be a marker of endocrine or reproductive function? These investigators observed that fertile men have longer AGDs than infertile ones, and provide evidence that AGD is correlated to sperm count. An interesting question is whether AGD combined with semen parameters in a mathematical model could more accurately diagnose male reproductive potential, since bulk semen analysis has proved to be a relatively poor assessor of fertility.

Does size matter in females? An overview of the impact of the high variation in the ovarian reserve on ovarian function and fertility, utility of anti-Müllerian hormone as a diagnostic marker for fertility and causes of variation in the ovarian reserve in cattle

Abstract: The mechanism whereby the inherently high variation in ovary size and the total number of high-quality oocytes in ovaries (ovarian reserve) impact on ovarian function and fertility, diagnostics to measure the size of the ovarian reserve and the factors that cause variation in the ovarian reserve are unknown. Our results show that cattle can be phenotyped reliably based on the number of antral follicles growing during follicular waves (antral follicle count, AFC). Young adult cattle with a consistently low v. a high AFC have smaller gonads, a markedly diminished ovarian reserve and many other phenotypic characteristics usually associated with ovarian aging and infertility. A powerful new approach based on a single measurement of serum concentration of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is described to test the longstanding hypothesis that the size of the ovarian reserve is positively associated with fertility. Also, new evidence shows that maternal environment has a critical role in regulation of the high variation in the ovarian reserve and perhaps fertility in offspring. These results support the conclusion that the inherently high variation in the ovarian reserve, potentially caused by alterations in the maternal environment, has a negative impact on ovarian function that may result in suboptimal fertility in young adult cattle, and a single AMH measurement can be used reliably in future studies to determine if fertility is suboptimal in young adult cattle with low circulating AMH concentrations and a correspondingly diminished ovarian reserve.

Oncofertility and preservation of reproductive capacity in children and young adults

Abstract: With increasing numbers of survivors from cancer at a young age, the issue of fertility preservation has assumed greater importance. This review describes normal ovarian and testicular function and summarizes what is known about the effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the gonads and uterus. All young patients with cancer or leukemia should have their fertility prognosis discussed before the initiation of treatment. Sperm and embryo cryopreservation should be considered standard practice and be widely available for those at significant risk of infertility. For prepubertal girls, ovarian tissue cryopreservation should be considered if the risk of premature menopause is high, but for the prepubertal boy there are no established techniques in current practice.

Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA): a tool in diagnosis and treatment of infertility

Abstract: Diagnosis of male infertility has mainly been based on the World Health Organization (WHO) manual-based semen parameter's concentration, motility and morphology. It has, however, become apparent that none of these parameters are reliable markers for evaluation of the fertility potential of a couple. A search for better markers has led to an increased focus on sperm chromatin integrity testing in fertility work-up and assisted reproductive techniques. During the last couple of decades, numerous sperm DNA integrity tests have been developed. These are claimed to be characterized by a lower intraindividual variation, less intralaboratory and interlaboratory variation and thus less subjective than the conventional sperm analysis. However, not all the sperm chromatin integrity tests have yet been shown to be of clinical value. So far, the test that has been found to have the most stable clinical threshold values in relation to fertility is the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), a flow cytometric test that measures the susceptibility of sperm DNA to acid-induced DNA denaturation in situ. Sperm DNA fragmentation as measured by SCSA has shown to be an independent predictor of successful pregnancy in first pregnancy planners as well as in couples undergoing intrauterine insemination, and can be used as a tool in investigation, counseling and treatment of involuntary childlessness. More conflicting data exist regarding the role of sperm DNA fragmentation in relation to fertilization, pre-embryo development and pregnancy outcome in in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

It's Now or Never: Fertility-Related Knowledge, Decision-Making Preferences, and Treatment Intentions in Young Women With Breast Cancer—An Australian Fertility Decision Aid Collaborative Group Study

Abstract: Purpose For many young women with early breast cancer, fertility is a priority. Interventions to retain fertility options generally need to be accessed before chemotherapy, but many women do not receive information regarding these options in a timely fashion. Knowledge about fertility and decisional conflict has not previously been measured in young patients with breast cancer considering future pregnancies. Methods One hundred eleven young women with early breast cancer who had not yet completed their families were recruited around the time of diagnosis. Knowledge regarding fertility-related information, decisional conflict, and preferences regarding fertility information and decision making was measured. Results From a potential fertility-related knowledge score of 10, the mean was 5.2 (standard deviation 2.3; range, 0 to 10). Decreased knowledge was associated with increased decisional conflict about pursuing fertility preserving interventions (odds ratio [OR] 0.57; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.73; P .001). Thirty-one percent of women reported that they would consider undertaking in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a method to conserve their fertility, whereas 38% were uncertain. Consideration of IVF was not related to whether subjects were in a committed relationship (OR 1.20; P .716) or a definite desire for more children (OR 1.54; P .513). Conclusion Around diagnosis, many young patients with breast cancer have low levels of knowledge about fertility issues. Further, low knowledge is associated with increased decisional conflict, which is likely to undermine the quality of decision making. These findings suggest that targeted and timely fertility information may reduce decisional conflict and increase informed choice. Neither relationship status nor firm plans regarding future children reliably predict desire to pursue fertility preservation.

Where Are the Babies? Labor Market Conditions and Fertility in Europe

Abstract: Cross-country differences in both the age at first birth and fertility are substantial in Europe This paper uses distinct fluctuations in unemployment rates across European countries during the 1980s and the 1990s combined with broad differences in their labor market arrangements to analyze the associations between fertility timing and the changing economic environment with close to 50,000 women from 13 European countries First, it employs time-varying measures of aggregate market conditions in each woman’s country as covariates and second, it adds micro-measures of each woman’s labor market history to the models High and persistent unemployment in a country is associated with delays in childbearing (and second births) The association is robust to diverse measures of unemployment and to controls for family-friendly policies Besides moderate unemployment, a large public employment sector (which provides security and benefits) is coupled with faster transitions to all births Women with temporary contracts, mostly in Southern Europe, are the least likely to give birth to a second child

Social age deadlines for the childbearing of women and men

Abstract: background: This study examines whether social age deadlines exist for childbearing in women and men, how they vary across countries, whether they are lower than actual biological deadlines and whether they are associated with childbearing at later ages and the availability of assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs). methods: This study is based on the European Social Survey, Round 3 (2006 –2007), which covers 25 countries. Data were gathered on social age deadlines for childbearing in women (21 909 cases) and men (21 239 cases) from samples of representative community-dwelling populations aged 15 and older. results: Social age deadlines for childbearing were perceived more frequently for women than men. These deadlines are often lower than actual biological limits, and for women and men alike: 57.2% of respondents perceived a maternal social age deadline ≤40 years of age; 46.2% of the respondents perceived a paternal social age deadline ≤45 years of age. There is also considerable variability in deadlines across countries, as well as within them. At the country level, the presence of social age deadlines for the childbearing of women was negatively associated with birth rates at advanced ages and the prevalence of ART, and later deadlines were positively associated with these factors. conclusions: It is important to understand the factors that increase and limit late fertility. While biological factors condition fertility, so do social expectations. These findings provide widespread evidence across Europe that social limits exist alongside biological ones, though both sets of factors are more binding for women.

Delayed Childbearing: Effects on Fertility and the Outcome of Pregnancy

Abstract: In modern societies, the proportion of women who delay childbearing beyond the age of 35 years has greatly increased in recent decades. They are falsely reassured by popular beliefs that advances in new reproductive technologies can compensate for the age-related decline in fertility. Yet age remains the single most important determinant of male and female fertility, either natural or treated. The consequences of advancing maternal age are not only relevant for the risk of natural and assisted conception, but also for the outcome of pregnancy. Although the absolute rate of poor pregnancy outcomes may be low from an individual standpoint, the impact of delaying childbearing from a public health perspective cannot be overestimated and should be in the agenda of public health policies for the years to come. This review summarizes available evidence regarding the impact of delaying childbearing on fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

Functional relationship between obesity and male reproduction: from humans to animal models

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The increase in the incidence of obesity has a substantial societal health impact. Contrasting reports have been published on whether overweight and obesity affect male fertility. To clarify this, we have reviewed published data on the relation between overweight/obesity, semen parameters, endocrine status and human male fertility. Subsequently, we have used results obtained in animal models of obesity to explain the human data. METHODS: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched between September 2009 and October 2010 for a comprehensive publication record. Available studies on adult human males were examined. The included animal studies examined obesity and fertility, and focused on leptin, leptin receptor signaling, kisspeptins and/or NPY. RESULTS: Most overweight/obese men do not experience significant fertility problems, despite the presence of reduced testosterone alongside normal gonadotrophin levels. Only a subgroup of subjects suffers from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Animal models offer several explanations and show that reduced leptin signaling leads to reduced GnRH neuronal activity. This may be due to decreased hypothalamic Kissl expression, a potent regulator of GnRH/LH/FSH release. As the Kissl neurons express leptin receptors, the Kissl system may participate in transmitting metabolic information to the GnRH neurons, thus providing a bridge between metabolic regulation and fertility. CONCLUSIONS: Infertility in overweight/obese males may be explained by leptin insensitivity. This implies a possible role for the KISSl system in human obesity-related male infertility. If substantiated, it will pave the way for methods to restore fertility in these subjects.

Diet-induced obesity in rats leads to a decrease in sperm motility

Abstract: Obesity is rapidly becoming a worldwide epidemic that affects children and adults. Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity and infertility, but until now it remains controversial. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high-fat diet-induced obesity on male reproductive parameters. In a first experiment, male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or standard chow (SD) for 15, 30 or 45 weeks, after which they were evaluated by adiposity index, serum leptin levels, reproductive organ weights and sperm counts. In a second experiment, rats received HFD or SD only for 15 weeks, long enough to cause obesity. Sexual hormones and sexual behavior were evaluated in these animals, as well as fertility after natural mating. Another group of rats was submitted to motility analysis and fertility evaluation after in utero insemination. After 15, 30 or 45 weeks, HFD-fed animals presented significant increases in obesity index and serum leptin levels. Reproductive organ weights and sperm counts in the testis and epididymis were similar between the two groups at all timepoints studied. Sexual behavior was not altered by the diet regimen, and HFD fertility after natural mating was also similar to SD-fed animals. Intergroup testosterone levels were also comparable, but estradiol levels were increased in HFD rats. Furthermore, sperm quality was reduced in HFD animals as evidenced by their decreased percentage of sperm with progressive movement. This altered motility parameter was followed by a trend toward reduction in fertility potential after artificial in utero insemination. The results reported herein showed that obesity can affect sperm quality, by reducing sperm motility, without affecting other sperm parameters. The low sperm quality caused a slight reduction in fertility potential, showing that obesity may lead to impairment in male fertility.

Impact of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on female fertility: meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract: The aim of this review is to determine the effect of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) on female fertility in ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), the mechanisms of this effect, strategies for prevention and management of infertility post-IPAA. This paper is a systematic literature review of all articles investigating IPAA and fertility from 1966 onwards that were found searching the Medline and Embase databases. Meta-analysis was performed on relevant studies. Seventeen relevant studies were identified. Six studies were excluded (duplicate data, one; predominantly not IPAA patients, one; no control group, four). The control groups of the remaining 11 studies were too varied for comparison, and so the meta-analysis was limited to six studies that provided data on infertility both pre- and post-IPAA. Five of these involved predominantly UC patients and one FAP. Average infertility rates were 20% pre-IPAA and 63% post-IPAA. The relative risk of infertility after IPAA is 3.91 ([2.06, 7.44] 95% CI). The possibility of publication bias suggests that the risk may be lower. Any increased risk is probably due to tubal dysfunction secondary to adhesions. Various methods have been proposed to reduce pelvic adhesions, but there is no evidence they have any effect in preventing infertility. Infertility treatment post-IPAA is associated with good success rates. Infertility is increased after IPAA in female patients in both UC and FAP. Both these disease processes affect patients during their reproductive years. This evidence emphasizes the need for careful consideration of fertility in the choice and timing of surgery.

Review of the Factors That Influence Egg Fertility and Hatchabilty in Poultry

Abstract: Poultry production at all scales of operation is wholly dependent on the supply of day-old chicks. Fertility and hatchability are two major parameters that highly influence the supply of day-old chicks. Fertility refers to the percentage of incubated eggs that are fertile while hatchability is the percentage of fertile eggs that hatch. It is therefore important to understand the factors that influence fertility and hatchability of eggs. For the hatchability traits, breed has little effect on hatchability of poultry eggs, although light breeds have been reported to have higher fertility and hatchability. The diet of breeder poultry should be adequate in both quality and quantity to meet the recommended levels set out in the feed standards for the category. The most influential egg parameters that influence hatchability are: weight, shell thickness and porosity, shape index (described as maximum breadth to length ratio) and the consistency of the contents. Heat stress reduces the external and internal egg qualities. Heat stress affects all phases of semen production in breeder cocks. Hatchability for small eggs is lower compared to that of medium and large eggs. There are many factors contributing to the failure of a fertile egg to hatch which include lethal genes, insufficient nutrients in the egg and exposure to conditions that do not meet the needs of the developing embryo. Breeder factors that affect hatchability include strain, health, nutrition and age of the flock, egg size, weight and quality, egg storage duration and conditions. The optimum temperature range for poultry is 12-26 C. Fertile eggs should not be o stored for more than 10-14 days, after 14 days of storage; hatchability begins to decline significantly. The position (large end up or vice versa) of egg storage influences hatchability. Eggs stored with the small end up have higher hatchability as compared to the large end up. Incubation of fertile eggs can be done naturally by a broody hen or in an incubator. The broody hen provides the fertile eggs with optimum environmental conditions (temperature, egg turning and humidity) to stimulate embryonic development until hatching. The incubator is a simulated artificial design that mimics the broody hen's role of providing fertile eggs with optimum environmental conditions (temperature, egg turning and humidity) to stimulate embryonic development until hatching. A constant incubation temperature of 37.8 C is the thermal homeostasis in the o

Designing prospective cohort studies for assessing reproductive and developmental toxicity during sensitive windows of human reproduction and development - the LIFE Study

Abstract: The relationship between the environment and human fecundity and fertility remains virtually unstudied from a couple-based perspective in which longitudinal exposure data and biospecimens are captured across sensitive windows. In response, we completed the LIFE Study with methodology that intended to empirically evaluate a priori purported methodological challenges: implementation of population-based sampling frameworks suitable for recruiting couples planning pregnancy; obtaining environmental data across sensitive windows of reproduction and development; home-based biospecimen collection; and development of a data management system for hierarchical exposome data. We used two sampling frameworks (i.e., fish/wildlife licence registry and a direct marketing database) for 16 targeted counties with presumed environmental exposures to persistent organochlorine chemicals to recruit 501 couples planning pregnancies for prospective longitudinal follow-up while trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy. Enrolment rates varied from <1% of the targeted population (n = 424,423) to 42% of eligible couples who were successfully screened; 84% of the targeted population could not be reached, while 36% refused screening. Among enrolled couples, ∼ 85% completed daily journals while trying; 82% of pregnant women completed daily early pregnancy journals, and 80% completed monthly pregnancy journals. All couples provided baseline blood/urine samples; 94% of men provided one or more semen samples and 98% of women provided one or more saliva samples. Women successfully used urinary fertility monitors for identifying ovulation and home pregnancy test kits. Couples can be recruited for preconception cohorts and will comply with intensive data collection across sensitive windows. However, appropriately sized sampling frameworks are critical, given the small percentage of couples contacted found eligible and reportedly planning pregnancy at any point in time.

Can family planning programs reduce high desired family size in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Abstract: During the past half century, fertility declines have been pervasive in Asia and Latin America. Between the early 1950s and the early 2000s, the total fertility rate (TFR)-the average number of live births a woman would have during her lifetime, assuming constant fertility rates-dropped from 5.7 to 2.4 births per woman in Asia and from 5.9 to 2.3 births per woman in Latin America.1 Only a handful of countries in these regions still have fertility rates higher than four births per woman. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, fertility remains high in the large majority of countries. Although some declines have occurred, the average total fertility rate in 2005-2010 exceeded 5.1 births per woman-more than double the levels observed in Asia and Latin America.