Smoking during pregnancy can affect daughter’s fertility

In a recent study, it has been found that girls born to the mothers who smoke during pregnancy will exhibit signs of increased testosterone exposure, which may affect their hormone and reproductive function in future.

The study was presented at the 58th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting.

The findings of this study suggest that smoking is an endocrine disruptor that can masculinise girls in the womb and that daughter of women that smoked during pregnancy may suffer from hormonal and reproductive health problems in the long-term.

Smoking during pregnancy is widely considered bad for the health both for the mother and baby, yet some women persist and many are exposed to passive smoking. In addition to the many toxins present in cigarette smoke, it is also suspected of having endocrine-disrupting properties that may increase testosterone levels.

Baby girls exposed to higher levels of the male hormone, testosterone, in the womb are at greater risk of abnormal development and long-term negative effects on their fertility and metabolism.

In this study, Dr Deniz Ozalp Kizilay and colleagues at Cigli State Training Hospital in Turkey, measured the AGD Anogenital distance, the distance from the midpoint of the anus to the genitalia in 56 newborn girls and 64 newborn boys, from mothers who smoked during pregnancy. AGD was significantly longer in the baby girls and correlated with the amount the mothers smoked. No effect was found on the AGD in the boys.

Dr Kizilay, lead researcher of the study said, “This significant increase in AGD in girls exposed to maternal smoking may be an indicator of excessive testosterone exposure that poses a risk for short and long-term health problems, including metabolism and fertility. Further investigation is needed to explain the relationship between maternal smoking, increased AGD and future health issues in girls.”

Although Dr Kizilay, cautions, “The mechanisms behind the potential reproductive problems caused by exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb are not fully understood. Our results do suggest that girls have higher testosterone exposure but not how this relates to reproductive function. More extensive and carefully-designed studies are required to explain this relationship.”

In order to understand the study better, the team now plans to monitor the long-term effects of exposure to higher testosterone levels caused by smoke exposure in the same group of baby girls, to assess how this may affect their future health and fertility.

Published: September 20, 2019 8:52 am | Updated:September 20, 2019 9:02 am

/**/

Smoking during pregnancy can affect daughter’s fertility

Up next

Drug used for treating psoriasis can also be used to treat malaria : Study

Author

shalw

Tags

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz says he ‘thought about vacating the planet’ as sex scandal erupted

Toddler dies in sewage pit on NT property after warnings about the tanks eight months prior

Boris visits Sweden and Finland to sign historic security pacts

Robbie Williams suffers new hurdle in bid to build pool and gym at £17.5million home

Dame Jenny Harries suggests the UK might act more like Sweden and adopt a voluntary approach to social distancing when the next pandemic hits

Hillary Clinton says she doesn’t believe Trump saying he ‘likely’ won’t pardon himself in sit-down with Biden’s ex-Press Secretary Jen Psaki

I thought I was just prone to bug bites – it turns out I had SKIN CANCER nine times

Russell Brand: The four disturbing words comedian told an Australian woman in LA before he allegedly cornered her in a bathroom and exposed himself

Smoking during pregnancy can affect daughter’s fertility

Up next

Author

shalw

Tags

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You May Also Like