Women should stop vaping if they want to get pregnant, research suggests
Women should stop vaping if they hope to become pregnant, according to a study that suggests it could affect fertility.
In the first study to show a link between fertility prospects and electronic cigarettes among a large population, analysis of blood samples from 8,340 women found that people who vaped or smoked tobacco had lower levels of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which indicates how many eggs that women have left in their ovaries.
The study found that AMH levels were lower in people who vaped than in non-vapers across all age groups.
Nearly a quarter of those trying to conceive said they vaped regularly or occasionally, according to the report from women’s health company Hertility, based on data from 325,000 women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 30. The research was conducted in Great Britain and was based on the analysis of anonymized data.
The study’s author, Dr Helen O’Neill, a lecturer in reproductive and molecular genetics at University College London and the CEO of Hertility, said women should be advised to quit the habit to avoid harming their chances of becoming pregnant. be thwarted.
She said women planning to become pregnant should be given clear guidelines about “no drinking, no vaping, no smoking, no drugs,” the Times reported.
O’Neill said: “This is the first piece of evidence showing a link between fertility and vaping in a large population. It shows that AMH is suppressed in vapers compared to non-vapers, in a similar way to what has already been shown in smokers. AMH is a hormone used to assess ovarian (egg) reserve, and therefore fertility.”
The report, which analyzed women’s lifestyle habits in the months before they became pregnant, also found that 7% admitted to using recreational drugs and 40% said they consumed alcohol weekly.
O’Neill said: “Trying to drink in moderation can be a slippery slope when it comes to the amount and intake of wine or alcohol in a week. The best advice is to quit, rather than cutting back or trying in moderation.”
There are growing concerns about the increasing nicotine addiction among young children. Last month, the government passed a law banning smoking for anyone born after 2009, and also introduced new restrictions on vaping, including a ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes under environmental law.
Earlier this week, a study suggested that girls aged 13 and 15 in Britain drink, smoke and vape more than boys. Research by the World Health Organization in 44 countries found that two-fifths of girls in England and Scotland had vaped by the age of 15 – a higher percentage than in other countries such as France, Germany and Spain.
Researchers also found that 30% of 15-year-old girls and 17% of 15-year-old boys in England had vaped in the past 30 days, which was more than children in several other countries including Ireland, Canada and Spain.
The study found that girls were more likely to have used a vape by the age of 15 than the average across all 44 countries surveyed, with vaping now overtaking smoking.
Last week, a report said children addicted to vaping should be given nicotine patches or gum to help them break the habit. Public Health Wales, one of the organizations that make up NHS Wales, said vaping should be seen as a “dependency problem” rather than a deliberate act of misconduct, with young people needing support to quit.