title: Birthweight and semen characteristics.
abstract: A correlation between birthweight and sperm counts in adult life was anticipated because impaired fetal growth could impair replication of Sertoli cells produced in fetal life. Furthermore, it was expected that males born with a high birthweight might have impaired sperm production as they are expected to have been exposed to higher levels of oestrogen in fetal life. We examined these predictions by including midwives records for 296 Danish males that had taken part in studies on male fecundity for other reasons. The study provided no support for these expectations. If anything, males born with a birthweight of 3000-3999 g had slightly lower sperm counts and more abnormal spermatozoa.
authors.affiliation: The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. jo@soci.au.dk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bonde
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Hjøllund
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abell
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D013076:Sperm Count
chemical_list: D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone