Fetal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking and male reproductive function in young adulthood

• Published in: European journal of epidemiology Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 525 - 538
• Main Authors: Hærvig, Katia Keglberg, Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig, Giwercman, Aleksander, Hougaard, Karin Sørig, Høyer, Birgit Bjerre, Lindh, Christian, Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia Høst, Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie, Toft, Gunnar, Bonde, Jens Peter, Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-05-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin; Biomarkers; Cardiology; Cigarette smoking; Cigarettes; Clinical Medicine; Cotinine; Drug addiction; Environmental Health and Occupational Health; Epidemiology; Exposure; Fetal programming; Fetuses; Health Sciences; Hormones; Hälsovetenskap; Infectious Diseases; Klinisk medicin; Male infertility; Maternal smoking; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine; Oncology; Pregnancy; Prenatal exposure; Public Health; Regression analysis; Regression models; Reproductive Epidemiology; Reproductive hormones; Reproduktionsmedicin och gynekologi; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Semen; Semen quality; Smoking; Smoking cessation; Sperm; Semen quality; Reproductive hormones; Male infertility; Fetal programming; Prenatal exposure; Maternal smoking
• ISSN: 0393-2990; 1573-7284
• DOI: 10.1007/s10654-022-00869-2

Maternal smoking during pregnancy constitutes a potential, major risk factor for adult male reproductive function. In the hitherto largest longitudinal cohort, we examined biomarkers of reproductive function according to maternal smoking during the first trimester and investigated whether associations were mitigated by smoking cessation prior to the fetal masculinization programming window. Associations between exposure to maternal smoking and semen characteristics, testicular volume and reproductive hormones were assessed among 984 young men from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort. Maternal smoking was assessed through interview data and measured plasma cotinine levels during pregnancy. We applied negative binomial, logistic and linear regression models to estimate differences in outcomes according to levels of maternal smoking. Sons of light smokers (≤ 10 cigarettes/day) had a 19% (95% CI − 29%, − 6%) lower sperm concentration and a 24% (95% CI − 35%, − 11%) lower total sperm count than sons of non-smokers. These estimates were 38% (95% CI − 52%, − 22%) and 33% (95% CI − 51%, − 8%), respectively, for sons of heavy smokers (> 10 cigarettes/day). The latter group also had a 25% (95% CI 1%, 54%) higher follitropin level. Similarly, sons exposed to maternal cotinine levels of  > 10 ng/mL had lower sperm concentration and total sperm count. Smoking cessation prior to gestational week seven was not associated with a higher reproductive capacity. We observed substantial and consistent exposure–response associations, providing strong support for the hypothesis that maternal smoking impairs male reproductive function. This association persisted regardless of smoking cessation in early pregnancy.