FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 February 2007

CONTACT: Jim Tobin
919-653-2582

Drinking During Pregnancy May Disrupt Male Reproductive Development

Report in Environmental Health Perspectives links prenatal alcohol exposure with increased risk of genital malformation in boys

[Research Triangle Park, NC] Pregnant women who consume even moderate amounts of alcohol may be placing their sons' reproductive development at risk, according to a study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have released findings suggesting that consumption of alcohol during pregnancy may increase the risk of cryptorchidism in sons.

Cryptorchidism, or undescended testicles, is one of the most common genital malformations in males. Although its cause is still largely unknown, previous research has indicated several risk factors, including low birth weight, prematurity, and twinning. Recent studies have reported an increase in the prevalence of cryptorchidism in the last few generations, suggesting that environment and lifestyle factors such as smoking, caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption may play a part in its occurrence.

The investigators in the current study analyzed lifestyle and medical data for 4,957 pregnant women collected in a joint prospective birth cohort in Denmark (1997-2001) and Finland (1997-1999). By the beginning of the third trimester, each woman had completed a questionnaire reporting how many alcoholic and caffeinated drinks they consumed per week as well as smoking habits. A total of 2,496 sons born to these women were examined at birth and at 3 months of age.

At birth 128 boys (94 Danish, 34 Finnish) displayed varying degrees of cryptorchidism, and 33 boys remained cryptorchid at 3 months of age. Data analysis revealed that mothers who regularly consumed alcoholic beverages were more likely to give birth to sons with cryptorchidism, even after controlling for other confounding variables such as premature delivery, birth weight, and maternal smoking and caffeine intake.

Results showed no statistically significant adverse effects in boys whose mothers consumed fewer than five drinks per week. However, the researchers caution that there is "no well-established safety level of drinking during pregnancy," and they say this new finding should be considered in counseling of pregnant women regarding alcohol consumption.

The lead author of the study was Ida N. Damgaard of the University of Denmark Department of Growth and Reproduction. Other authors included Tina K. Jensen, the Nordic Cryptorchidism Study Group, Jørgen H. Petersen, Niels E. Skakkebæk, Jorma Toppari, and Katharina M. Main. The article is available free of charge at http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/9608/9608.html.

EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. EHP is an Open Access journal. More information is available online at http://www.ehponline.org/. Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing handles marketing and public relations for EHP, and is responsible for the creation and distribution of this press release.

Editor’s note: Working media can register to receive press releases via e-mail by visiting http://www.ehponline.org/press/, calling 919-653-2582, or e-mailing ehpmedia@brogan.com.