Early Life Factors

Publications under ‘Early Life Factors’ examine the association of childhood factors of individuals with their own fertility and reproductive outcomes. 

Wildenschild C, Riis AH, Ehrenstein V, Heitmann BL, Hatch EE, Wise LA, Rothman KJ, Sørensen HT, Mikkelsen EM. Weight at birth and subsequent fecundability: a prospective cohort study. PLoS One 2014; 9(4): e95257.

Women’s weight when they were born was not associated with their fecundability as adults.

Wildenschild C, Riis AH, Ehrenstein V, Hatch EE, Wise LA, Rothman KJ, Sørensen HT, Mikkelsen EM. A prospective cohort study of a woman’s own gestational age and her fecundability. Hum Reprod 2015; 30(4): 947-56.

Women who were born very early (<34 gestational weeks) had decreased fecundability compared with women who were born at 37-41 gestational weeks. Women who were born at 34-36 gestational weeks had similar fecundability with women who were born at 37-41 gestational weeks.

Basso O, Willis SK, Hatch EE, Mikkelsen EM, Rothman KJ, Wise LA. Maternal age at birth and daughter’s fecundability. Hum Reprod. 2021;36(7):1970-1980. doi:10.1093/humrep/deab057

Investigators found that participants whose mothers gave birth to them at ages ≥35 years did not have lower fecundability, which is reassuring considering the trend towards delayed childbirth in North America. However, having been born to a young mother (aged <20 years) was associated with lower fecundability among pregnancy planners.