Fertility News

Men Conceived Through Assisted Fertility Have Lower Sperm Counts - 06/22/2007

A Danish study has found that males conceived using assisted fertility treatments had sperm counts that were up to 50% lower than normal sperm count levels.

The study involved the review of 1 925 Danish individuals who were undergoing compulsory medical testing for army physical health requirements. Men whose mothers had undergone fertility treatments had 46% lower sperm concentrations as well as 45% lower overall sperm count levels. In addition, these men also had lower sperm motility, as well as a higher percentage of deformed sperm compared to their counterparts whose mothers had not undergone fertility treatments in order to conceive.

However, the study did not identify the type of hormonal fertility treatment that the individuals' mothers underwent.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a man's sperm count should not drop below 20 million sperm per milliliter; the average sperm count of the Danish study was 48 million per milliliter compared to that of the sons of fertility treatment mothers, which was 33 million per milliliter.

The Danish study's findings are consistent with other studies, including a Canadian study that found that fertility treatment children had a 58% higher risk of birth defects, including heart, bone and digestive tract abnormalities.

Source: LifeSite.net

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