Eating beef in pregnancy may affect son's sperm

[DesertRat]

WASHINGTON - U.S. women who eat a lot of beef while pregnant give birth to sons who grow up to have low sperm counts, researchers reported Tuesday.

They believe pesticides, hormones or contaminants in cattle feed may be to blame. Chemicals can build up in the fat of animals that eat contaminated feed or grass, and cattle are routinely given hormones to boost their growth.

"In sons of 'high beef consumers' (more than seven beef meals a week), sperm concentration was 24.3 percent lower," the researchers wrote in their report, published in the journal Human Reproduction.

The team at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York studied data on the partners of 387 pregnant women in five U.S. cities between 2000 and 2005, and on the mothers of the fathers-to-be.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17815402/

[crispini]

1. Who in the name of heaven can eat beef more than seven times a week?

Ye cats! That's more than once a day!

[Colobo]

2. Good point!

[moc]

4. I had a powerful hunger for steak when I was pg with ds.

I didn't eat it seven times per week though. That is crazy.

[DesertRat]

5. My inlaws ate 7+ pork meals a week

A typical day for them would be eggs and sausage for breakfast, sliced ham for lunch and some other pork, like chops, barbeque or tenderloin for dinner. WAAAAAY too much meat for my tastes, but I can see where it does happen.

[TahitiNut]

10. Arby's for lunch, Big Mac for dinner.

Easy. :shrug:

[Orrex]

3. I'm sure that 7+ weekly beef meals are otherwise perfectly healthy

:eyes:

I'll have to retroactively remind my mom to steer clear of all those steaks while pregnant with me.

:spray:
Steer! As in beef! Get it?!? I'm freaking hilarious!
:rofl:

[Cabcere]

6. LOL

Pun-tastic. :D :thumbsup:

[wuushew]

7. Those boys are 2-7 years old

Aren't sperm counts only relevant in ADULT males?

[MonkeyFunk]

8. No

you're misreading it.

The study was on adult men, conducted between 2000 and 2005. Then they interviewed the mothers of the adult men about their beef-eating habits during pregnancy.

[wuushew]

9. Thats poor methodology though

If I was expecting a child I don't think I could get an accurate answer out of my mother of what she ate almost thirty years ago.

The real results of this study will not be known for some time.

[DesertRat]

11. It might make pregnant women eat less beef when they're pregnant

Before the 1960's, women smoke, drank and were prescribed all kinds of drugs while pregnant. Older relatives have told me that doctors recommended that women smoke to help them "relax" and keep their weight down during pregnancy.
I think that studies like this are important for future generations.

[Gabi Hayes]

12. How did they find enough pregnant sons to make a reliable sample?

?