Drinking while pregnant can reduce future fertility in a male fetus

Doctors can vary a bit in the recommendations about drinking and pregnancy.

Some medical professionals say as much as a glass of wine daily is okay, while some believe there is no way to determine how much alcohol, if any, is safe to consume while pregnant. But a new study indicates that even moderate drinking during pregnancy can have lasting effects on a male fetus:

In a study of almost 350 young men, sperm levels were a third lower in those whose mothers had drunk more than four drinks a week during pregnancy compared with teetotallers.

The Danish researchers told a fertility conference these men may have a harder time getting their partner pregnant.

The study grouped participants one of four ways: women who abstained totally, those who consumed 1-2 units of alcohol per week, those who consumed 3-4 units of alcohol per week and those who drank more than 4 units a week. Men whose mothers belonged to the latter groups had a concentration of sperm 32% lower than men in the first group.

The BBC goes on to state that UK researchers believe drinking while pregnant may not so much cause the reduced fertility in affected males so much as indicate other markers leading to the findings. Dr. Alan Pacey of the University of Sheffield elaborated:

“It needs following up but it might help us understand factors which affect testicle development in the womb.”

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