Avoid stress if you want to bear a child: Study finds the link between infertility and stress

Infertility can be caused by a lot of factors but a new study has just unearthed how stress can greatly contribute to this inability to bear a child.

A study titled, "RFamide-related peptide neurons modulate the reproductive function and stress responses" published in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that the missing link between stress and infertility lies on a set of neurons found at the base of the brain, which becomes active during stressful situations. However, it suppresses the reproductive system.

Researchers from the University of Otago found through a laboratory test that the RFRP neurons would have increased activity when confronted with stressful situations but the downside is that the reproductive system gets suppressed.

Professor Greg Anderson of the Centre for Neuroendocrinology stated that they utilised cutting edge transgenic techniques to show how the reproductive hormones get suppressed whenever the RFRP cells' activity is increased. The manner is similar to what happens during a stressful event, or whenever there is exposure to the stress hormone cortisol.

Anderson stated that when they used cortisol to suppress the reproductive hormones, at the same time rendered the RFRP neurons inactive, it did not create a significant change to the reproductive system as it was able to continue with its functions. Their experiment just showed the important role that RFRP neurons play in a "stress-induced suppression of reproduction." The researchers noted that the reaction was apparent in females.

He also said that one of the goals of their research is to see if they would be able to use drugs that could possibly block the RFRP neurons in order to overcome "stress-induced infertility."

For women who are faced with infertility issues, a drug that could block the RFRP neurons could be a novel form of therapy. Anderson noted that as far as they know, such a drug would not produce side effects. While there are available drugs, they are not yet approved for human use.

Stress and Infertility

The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that infertility affects millions of people in the world. Their estimate is between 48 million couples all over the world deal with infertility. About 186 million individuals all over the world live with it.