Women who vape could be reducing their chances of having children, scientists warn
WOMEN who vape could be reducing their chances of having children, scientists warn.
Experts found female e-cigarette users aged 36 to 40 have a fifth less of a hormone called AMH — an indicator of fertility — than non-vapers.
A study by UK fertility firm Hertility analysed data from 325,000 women.
Boss Dr Helen O’Neill advised women to stop vaping to boost their chances of pregnancy.
She said: “This is the first piece of evidence to show a link between fertility and vaping across a large population.
“It shows AMH is suppressed in vapers compared to non-vapers in a similar way to smokers.”
The figures show that one in five women vape while trying to conceive.
Women who vape and are aged between 36 and 40 have a fifth less AMH than non-vapers, the report says.
The report also found that seven percent of women trying to conceive were still using recreational drugs and four percent were drinking more than the NHS recommends.
Dr O’Neill said. “The best advice is to stop, as opposed to cutting down or trying in moderation.”
The news comes as England was ranked sixth out of 40 nations for e-cig use among 11 to 13-year-olds.
Children here puff on them more than those in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, the World Health Organisation report reveals.
Only kids in the Baltics and Eastern Europe vape more, with Bulgaria, Poland and Lithuania at the top of the table.
Thirty per cent of 15-year-old girls in England have used an e-cig in the past month — far higher than the European average of 21 per cent.