The fertility rates in the US have declined dramatically in recent years. Researchers aren't entirely sure of the cause. There are those who theorize that the decline in fertility is due to the fact that women wait too long to have children, choosing to focus more on education and career. Others argue that it is a reaction to the country's economic uncertainty ; while many are convinced that, in part, the fault lies also in the increasingly lower sperm concentrations .
Many of these assumptions are linked to specific circumstances, of course. But there is also another cause that should be considered, namely the underlying genetic problem and the role it plays when two people decide to have children. To what extent can fertility be based on the factors we have inherited?
It is estimated that about 50% of infertility cases are of genetic origin. Family history plays a very specific role when it comes to certain pathologies that can lead to infertility. In addition to this, scientists are hard at work to find out what other genetic factors can affect fertility problems.
Chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases can reduce fertility
Let's start with what we know for sure: many people are unable to conceive or carry on a pregnancy due to genetic and chromosomal abnormalities. This means that some individuals have inherited a pathology that could inhibit the cellular development of the sperm or make it almost impossible to implant the embryo and its normal growth in the uterus.
There are chromosomal deletions, in which part of a chromosome is missing, as well as mutations that involve changes in the DNA. Furthermore, translocations also occur in which portions of chromosomes attach themselves to the wrong chromosome. Inversions can occur, where the chromosome is upside down, and also a phenomenon called aneuploidy, in which the number of chromosomes is too high or too low. Genetic. You can check more about over here .