Women who work shifts have lower fertility and increased risk of miscarriage

Women who work shifts are more likely to have reduced fertility levels, new research has revealed. Shift work also increases the chance of menstrual disruption, while night work increases the risk of miscarriage, the study found. The annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in London heard that previous research has linked shift work, which causes sleep deprivation and disruption to the body clock, with ill health. But little was known about the effects of shift work on reproductive health and fertility. Dr Linden Stocker headed a study by the University of Southampton which found links between shift patterns and fertility problems. The study is a meta-analysis of all studies on the subject published between 1969 and January 2013 and included data on 119,345 women. - Women who work shifts are 80% more likely to have fertility problems such as miscarriage - Women who work shifts have a 33% higher chance of disrupted periods - Women who work nights are 29 per cent more likely to have a miscarriage - Shift work can cause sleep deprivation and disruption to the body clock, both of which are associated with ill health Women who work shifts are more likely to have reduced fertility levels. Shift work also increases the chance of menstrual disruption, while night work increases the risk of miscarriage But little was known about the effects of shift work on reproductive health and fertility. Dr Linden Stocker headed a study by the University of Southampton which found links between shift patterns and fertility problems. The study is a meta-analysis of all studies on the subject published between 1969 and January 2013 and included data on 119,345 women. It found that those working shifts had a 33 per cent higher rate of menstrual disruption than those working regular hours, and an 80 per cent increased rate of reduced fertility. Women who worked only nights did not have an increased risk of menstrual disruption or difficulty conceiving, but they did have a 29 per cent increased rate of miscarriage. The investigators describe their findings as ‘novel’, but in keeping with other studies. Shift work causes sleep deprivation and disruption to the body clock both of which are associated with ill health Dr Stocker said: ‘If replicated, our findings have implications for women attempting to become pregnant, as well as for their employers.’ She added: ‘Whilst we have demonstrated an association between shift work and negative early reproductive outcomes, we have not proven causation. ‘In humans, the long-term effects of altering circadian rhythms are inherently difficult to study. As a proxy measure, the sleep disruption demonstrated by the shift workers in our study creates short- and long-term biological disturbances. ‘Shift workers adopt poor sleep hygiene, suffer sleep deprivation and develop activity levels that are out-of-sync with their body clock. ‘However, if our results are confirmed by other studies, there may be implications for shift workers and their reproductive plans. ‘More friendly shift patterns, with less impact on circadian rhythm, could be adopted where practical - although the optimal shift pattern required to maximise reproductive potential is yet to be established.’ She said that the underlying biological disturbances involved in reproductive difficulties ‘are complex and not the same across all the disease processes’. ‘Indeed,’ she said, ‘it is probable that completely different causes underlie menstrual dysfunction, miscarriage and subfertility. ‘This may explain why the effects of different types of shift work are seen in some groups of women, but not others.’ Article: 9th July 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

Improve your chance of having a baby by avoiding selfish men

The new "Get Britain Fertile" campaign features a photograph of presenter Kate Garraway, made up to look elderly and pregnant. Her wrinkles and white hair juxtaposed with a fecund belly illustrate the main thrust of the campaign – to make British women aware of the decline in fertility by their 30s and 40s. However, is there a grown woman left in Britain who's not already aware of this? Moreover, when are we, as a society, going to address a painful truth: that where timing is concerned, female fertility is not, as is often supposed, controlled exclusively by women, but also very much in the power of the men they are with? There's much that's well intentioned about GBF. It claims to be aimed at both men and women. Garraway, an ambassador for the campaign, says she feels fortunate to have had children relatively late, and wants women to make "informed choices". However, GBF taps into the culture of misogyny surrounding female fertility. It feeds the urban myth of women "refusing" to have children because of careers, partying, or holding out for Leonardo DiCaprio. These delusional "picky" females have been figments of the collective imagination for so long they need to be dusted down. Indeed, GBF is accompanied by a survey, stating that many women aged 18-46 are concerned about practicalities: ranging from loss of earnings and workplace inflexibility, to childcare costs and housing. All crucial issues, but for the purpose of this article, let's look at the third of women who say they want children but haven't yet found the right partner. In my opinion that one-third is an underestimate. Even not finding the right man often turns out to be a euphemism for: "I met him, I spent years with him, but ultimately, he wouldn't have children." Put bluntly, many of these women at their fertile peak didn't refuse anything, their men did. Like it or not, this is how men influence female fertility and, ultimately, female infertility. The mere thought is enough to inspire feminist panic: women, not men, should control their fertility. Who could disagree? It's also true that some women don't want children, period. And yet how many of us have met (or even been) the thirty-fortysomething, forced to abandon a long relationship because the man wouldn't start a family? Such men may feel that the relationship isn't right, or don't want their freedom curtailed, or other reasons, all as valid as a woman making similar decisions. It only becomes unfair, verging on selfish, when men keep such insights to themselves for too long. These are the time-wasters, what I'd term the fertility-drifters, who think nothing of keeping women dangling for years on end. It's not that these women are pathetic wimps, rather that often they can't win: if they push, they're pushy (humiliating); if they don't push, if they're respectful and patient, they'll waste even more time. Frequently, these men go on to start families with younger women, leaving their original partners scouring dating sites, lampooned as desperadoes on the hunt for viable sperm. Some might say: "Diddums, that's life." Fine, so long as we acknowledge that this is something many women put up with during their fertile years, and that to castigate them is unfair. Sometimes it's not women who are picky, it's men. Ergo, such men should at least be part of the ongoing debate about late female procreation. After all, a stalled relationship at the wrong time with an immature, untruthful, or simply unwilling, man, is enough to compromise or even destroy a woman's fertility. If the GBF campaign really is aimed at both sexes, perhaps they need to include a photograph of a man with the caption: "Play fair and, by the way, sperm deteriorates too." Meanwhile, women may need another mantra – don't let anyone waste your precious time. Read more... Article: 19th May 2013 www.guardian.co.uk

Women should be given more information about fertility

A recent review paper emphasises the need for improved provision of fertility information, especially regarding age-associated risks, as the trend for women having children later in life continues.
Dr David Utting, Specialty Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust who co-authored the review, said: 'Clear facts on fertility be made available to women of all ages to remind them that the most secure age for childbearing remains 20 to 35. However women and doctors should remain vigilant to prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancies'.

The review says basic information about pregnancy including contraception, normal cycles, the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and age-related risks should be reinforced through schools, family planning and sexual health clinics and the media, so the general public can be better informed.

The age of first-time mothers has risen from 23 in 1968 to 29.3 in 2008 and women aged 30 to 34 are more likely to enter into motherhood than any other age group, based on data from the Office for National Statistics. The authors propose a wider choice of reliable contraception as a possible reason and refer to the results of a 2006 survey in which most women described career and money, with a number also highlighting the need to find a suitable partner, as delaying motherhood.

According to the review, 'at the age of 25 just five percent of women take longer than a year to conceive with regular intercourse, rising to 30 percent in those aged 35'. An increased risk with age of miscarriage and other pregnancy related complications including premature births and stillbirths was also identified.

Interestingly the authors discuss the male 'biological clock' and said a man's fertility similarly declines with age. They estimate that the average 40-year-old male takes two years to get his partner pregnant, even if she is in her twenties.

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