title: Prenatal exposure to smoking and male reproductive health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether prenatal exposure to smoking is associated with impaired reproductive health in exposed men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men who have been exposed to maternal smoking in utero have smaller testes and impaired semen quality as compared to nonexposed men, suggesting toxic effects on Sertoli and/or germ cells. According to meta-analyses there is only a weak or no association with fetal exposure to smoking and the incidence of testicular germ cell cancer, cryptorchidism, or hypospadias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adverse effect of maternal smoking on sperm production capacity of their son is yet another good reason for women to quit smoking before pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physiology and Paediatrics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadov
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toppari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012661:Semen; D055101:Semen Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*