Journal article
Helminth infection, fecundity, and age of first pregnancy in women
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.350(6263), pp.970-972
11/20/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/112807
PMID: 26586763
Abstract
Infection with intestinal helminths results in immunological changes that influence co-infections, and might influence fecundity by inducing immunological states affecting conception and pregnancy. We investigated associations between intestinal helminths and fertility in women, using 9 years of longitudinal data from 986 Bolivian forager-horticulturalists, experiencing natural fertility and 70% helminth prevalence. We found that different species of helminth are associated with contrasting effects on fecundity. Infection with roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) is associated with earlier first births and shortened interbirth intervals, whereas infection with hookworm is associated with delayed first pregnancy and extended interbirth intervals. Thus, helminths may have important effects on human fertility that reflect physiological and immunological consequences of infection.
Metrics
12 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Helminth infection, fecundity, and age of first pregnancy in women
- Creators
- Aaron D Blackwell - Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Broom Center for Demography, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. blackwell@anth.ucsb.eduMarilyne A Tamayo - Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USABret Beheim - Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USABenjamin C Trumble - Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Broom Center for Demography, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Center for Evolutionary Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USAJonathan Stieglitz - Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, FrancePaul L Hooper - Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USAMelanie Martin - Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Broom Center for Demography, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USAHillard Kaplan - Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USAMichael Gurven - Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia. Broom Center for Demography, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Publication Details
- Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.350(6263), pp.970-972
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- R56AG024119 / NIA NIH HHS R01 AG024119 / NIA NIH HHS R56 AG024119 / NIA NIH HHS R01AG024119 / NIA NIH HHS P01AG022500 / NIA NIH HHS
- Identifiers
- 99900547780801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article