Research question

Are low birth weight, prematurity, being born small for gestational age, or both, associated with a higher risk of male factor infertility in adulthood?

Design

Retrospective study of a clinical sample of 892 men, diagnosed with an infertility factor (male, female, combined or unexplained) together with their female partner at a University Hospital clinic in Sweden between 2005 and 2010. Data on birth weight and gestational age at birth were retrieved from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. The distribution of non-optimal birth characteristics in relation to infertility factor was described. A control group was created consisting of two men for each index man, born in Sweden in the same year as each index men, as well as a reference group consisting of all men born in Sweden the same years.

Results

The likelihood of having been born small for gestational age was almost fivefold higher in men with male factor infertility than in men with unexplained infertility (OR 4.84, 95% CI 1.32 to 17.80). Men with male factor infertility were more often born with non-optimal birth characteristics than the control group (14.8% versus 8.5%; P = 0.010) and the reference group (14.8% versus 11.4%; P < 0.001). Men with azoospermia were more often born with non-optimal birth characteristics, compared with men without azoospermia (21.3% versus 12.1%; P = 0.038).

Conclusions

The results suggest an association between intrauterine growth restriction and male factor infertility in adulthood.

中文翻译：

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不育男性的出生特征。

研究问题

低出生体重、早产、出生小于胎龄，或两者兼有，是否与成年后男性因素不育的风险增加有关？

设计

2005 年至 2010 年在瑞典大学医院诊所对 892 名被诊断患有不孕症（男性、女性、合并或不明原因）的男性及其女性伴侣的临床样本进行回顾性研究。 有关出生体重和出生胎龄的数据从瑞典医疗出生登记处检索。描述了与不育因素相关的非最佳出生特征的分布。为每个指标男性创建了一个对照组，其中每个指标男性与每个指标男性在同一年出生在瑞典，以及一个由所有瑞典同年出生的男性组成的参考组。

结果

男性因素不孕男性出生小于胎龄的可能性几乎是不明原因不孕男性的五倍（OR 4.84，95% CI 1.32 至 17.80）。与对照组（14.8% 对 8.5%；P  = 0.010）和参考组（14.8% 对 11.4%；P < 0.001）相比，患有男性因素不育的男性更常出生时具有非最佳出生特征。与没有无精子症的男性相比，有无精子症的男性更常出生时具有非最佳出生特征（21.3% 对 12.1%；P  = 0.038）。

结论

结果表明宫内生长受限与成年男性因素不育之间存在关联。