According to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, women with blood type O - the most common type - had a lower egg count and poorer egg quality in their 30s than those with blood type A.
A woman’s blood group appears to influence the amount of a hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) that she produces. A follicle is a small round cavity — the egg grows in the middle of this.
During ovulation, follicles containing maturing eggs push towards the surface of the ovary. There, the follicle opens up to allow the egg to drift out. This hormone is released by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland in the brain.
Although it plays a vital role in pregnancy — stimulating the follicles so they release the eggs — studies show very high levels are a sign of infertility. In particular, they are the sign of something called a low ovarian reserve.
The ovarian reserve is a measure of how many eggs a woman is thought to have left at any one time. It can vary from one woman to another and can be depleted by smoking, ovarian cysts and endometriosis, a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. This can lead to pain, irregular bleeding, and problems getting pregnant (infertility)
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cynMom
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Nov 10, 2011 02:02 PM
