London, Aug 12 (IANS) A new study has revealed that high stress levels can reduce a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
Researchers at Oxford University and the US National Institutes of Health found that blood levels of a marker for a stress hormone called alpha-amylase were consistently higher in women who were struggling to conceive. Women with high levels of alpha-amylase had a 12 percent lower chance of becoming pregnant.
‘This is the first study to find that a biological measure of stress is associated with a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant that month,’ dailymail.co.uk quoted Cecilia Pyper, from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, as saying.
‘We found that those women with high levels of a marker for stress were less likely to succeed in conceiving. The findings support the idea that couples should aim to stay as relaxed as they can about trying for a baby,’ Pyper added.
‘In some people’s cases, it might be relevant to look at relaxation techniques, counselling and even approaches like yoga and meditation. Many couples are very keen to know what they should do to improve their chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby, and this will help us provide the best advice.’
