Tuesday, 19 March, 2024
HomeReproductive MedicineStress linked to infertility and ability to become pregnant

Stress linked to infertility and ability to become pregnant

Women under stress find it harder to become pregnant and have higher chances of becoming infertile, compared with women who are more relaxed. [s]The Independent[/s] reports that scientists suggest that yoga or meditation could help would-be mothers. Scientists found that women with the highest levels of a recognised biomarker for stress in their bodies were almost 30% less likely to become pregnant each month compared to those with the lowest levels of the same stress biomarker. The researchers also discovered women in the highest stress category were more than twice as likely to meet the clinical definition of infertility compared to others in the lowest stress group – the first time that stress has been linked with infertility in this way. The study, published in [s]Human Reproduction[/s], involved 373 US women between 18 and 40 whose stress levels were monitored at the start of a 12-month period when they attempted to get pregnant.

[link url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/stressed-women-30-less-likely-to-become-pregnant-9211227.html]Full report in The Independent[/link]
[link url=http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/4/824.abstract]Human Reproduction abstract only[/link]

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