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■外國科學研究指出，如果婦女在懷孕期間喝酒，可能損害胎兒的精子濃度。資料圖片
丹麥科學家的研究發現，婦女懷孕期間喝酒，可能會損害兒子未來的生育能力。
研究員發現，若母親每周喝4.5杯酒以上，兒子廿年後的精子濃度將較胎兒期間沒受酒精影響的男性低1/3。
負責研究的阿雷胡斯大學職業性藥物系塞西莉亞表示：「研究顯示，懷孕期間喝中等份量的酒精會減低兒子的精子濃度。」但她同時指出，由於研究只是觀察性質，故科學家未能肯定喝酒是精子濃度變低的原因。
若未來實驗再得出同樣結果，或可解釋為何精子質素會在近幾十年下降，以及為何某些國家的男性精子質量會比另一些國家的好。
這個丹麥研究團隊的調查在1984至1987年間進行，對象是參加了「二人健康好習慣」的11,980位母親及347位兒子，她們在懷孕36周時要回答一些有關生活習慣和健康的問卷。研究員再於05至06年間跟進她們當時約18至21歲的兒子，檢驗和分析他們的精子和血液樣本。
數據顯示，每周喝超過4.5杯酒的母親，其子的精子濃度是每毫升2,500萬條；而受到最少酒精影響的母親，其子的精子濃度達每毫升4,000萬條。
世衛界定正常的精子濃度為每毫升最少有2,000萬條，最多為每毫升4,000萬條；至於受孕的機會隨著精子濃度而上升。
研究又調查父親喝酒對兒子精子的影響，但發現並無關係。 ■路透社 ■羅國偉 資深翻譯員
Alcohol in Pregnancy May Harm Sons' Sperm
Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may be damaging the fertility of their future sons, a study by Danish scientists.
The researchers found that if mothers had drunk 4.5 or more drinks a week while pregnant, the sperm concentration of their sons-measured about 20 years later-was a third lower than in men who were not exposed to alcohol while in the womb.
"Our study shows that there is an association between drinking a moderate amount of alcohol during pregnancy and lower sperm concentrations in sons," said Cecilia of Aarhus's department of occupational medicine, who led the research.
But she noted that because the study was an observational one, the scientists could not say for certain whether the alcohol intake was a cause of the lower sperm concentrations. If, however, the findings are replicated in future studies, that may help explain why semen quality has dropped in recent decades, and why it's better in some nations than others.
The Danish team studied 347 sons of 11,980 women who were taking part in the Danish "Healthy habits for two" study between 1984 and 1987. Around the 36th week of pregnancy the mothers answered a questionnaire on lifestyle and health. The sons were followed up between 2005 and 2006, when they were aged between 18-21, and semen and blood samples were collected and analysed.
The data showed that sons of mothers drinking 4.5 or more alcoholic drinks a week had average sperm concentrations of 25 million per millilitre, while the sons who were least exposed to alcohol had sperm concentrations of 40 million per ml.
The WHO defines a normal level of sperm concentration as being approximately 20 million per ml or more, but the chances of conception go up with increased sperm concentration up to 40 million per ml.
The researchers also investigated whether fathers' alcohol consumption had any effect, but found no link. ■Reuters
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