Women trying to get pregnant should consider their body clock as well as their biological clock, according to new research.
A study conducted at Northwestern University in Illinois in the US has found a link between disrupted body clocks and reproductive problems, reports the Daily Mail.
It has long been recognised that women who work shifts, such as nurses and flight attendants, have fertility and menstrual issues.
But now Dr Fred Turek, who led the study into the effects of disruping the body clocks of mice, has found strong evidence that if a body clock is repeatedly out of sync with the natural daylight cycle, it can have a disruptive effect on the chances of getting pregnant.
“Our results have important implications for the reproductive health of female shift workers,” said Dr Fred.
Dr Keith Summa, who also worked on the study, said: “If you disrupt your internal rhythms, there will be negative consequences.”
“Our results suggest people should consider their biological rhythms for optimal health,” said Dr Keith.
Dr Keith said that although the observations are interesting, they would like to determine exactly what is causing the reduced fertility.
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