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UAE: Stress, loud sounds impact infertility, say doctors

A 2022 UAE university study had observed that one in six couples in the country face difficulty in conceiving

Environment factors like pollution and noise can have an impact on one's fertility, according to experts in the UAE. Stress can also play a major role in causing infertility.

“Several studies have shown that constant exposure to environment factors like noise and pollution can impact fetility,” said Dr Nadia Najjari, Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Consultant at HealthPlus IVF in Abu Dhabi.

“For example, if it's noisy, people cannot sleep and that affects the pituitary gland. This results in the body having a hormonal imbalance that affects reproductive health, and reducing sperm quality. Eggs are not produced, which means women cannot get pregnant. Exposure to chemicals like pesticides also disrupts the hormonal regulation, and can also cause miscarriages," added Dr Nadia.

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Dr Najjari's comments were echoed by Dr Shikha Garg, Specialist Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Aster Royal Clinic Downtown Dubai. “Research has consistently shown that environmental factors have a profound effect on health and diseases and the same goes for fertility,” she said. “Factors like obesity, being underweight, overdoing physical activity and exercises, radiation, smoking and alcohol, using drugs like marijuana and heavy drinking all have a deleterious impact on fertility.”

A UAE university study in 2022 had observed that one in six couples in the country face difficulty in conceiving. UAE is considered to have one of the highest rates of secondary infertility — the inability to have a child after previously giving birth — in the world and a UN report on world populations in 2021 noted that the fertility rates in the UAE (the total number of children per woman) stood at just 1.4, a significant drop from the 1990s.

Other factors

According to Dr Shikha, several other lifestyle factors, including weight, age and vitamin deficiencies, could have an impact on fertility. “The major cause of infertility in Dubai women is obesity,” she said.

“Most women in Dubai are found with high Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30, this is probably due to sedentary lifestyles, improper eating habits or work stress. Another important factor being noted in the majority of patients is also vitamin D deficiency, which is involved in embryo implantation.”

She said other factors that impact a woman’s infertility include age, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine abnormalities, hypothyroidism, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Dr Najjari added that stress played a huge part in infertility. “Chronic stress, might affect the hormonal axis, and this can cause irregular cycles,” she said. “In men, stress can reduce the quality and quantity of sperm and even reduces the frequency of sexual intercourse. Stress can also lower the IVF success rate, so it is something that should be considered seriously.”

Assisted pregnancies

Dr Shikha said couples seeking counselling and information about infertility treatment must be educated about all treatment options. “This includes assisting the couples in the most basic form as ovulation-inducing medications with follicular imaging to track egg growth,” she said.

“The advanced form of assisted reproduction is IVF treatment, which involves fertilising the egg outside of the mother, in a test tube and then transferring the fertilised embryo into the mother's womb.”

Earlier, experts had called on residents to consider IVF only after exploring less invasive and more affordable treatments to reduce emotional and financial strain.

Dr Najjari said it was important for her to understand the couples and their journeys before recommending a mode of treatment. “We have to understand why the patient is coming to us,” she said. “We have to ask about their job, their environment, their health, the age of the patient and how many years have they tried to get pregnant. Once the picture is more clear, we recommend a treatment.”

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