A team of German researchers has found that disposable nappies increase the temperature of baby boys' testicles, a finding which they say could have implications for male fertility. The study, published in the latest issue of the Archives of Diseases in Childhood, shows that compared to cotton nappies, plastic-lined nappies...
A UK bioethicist claims that a legal loophole could allow male couples to have their own genetic child, using cell nuclear transfer- the technique used to clone Dolly the sheep. Dr Calum MacKellar, a lecturer in bioethics and biochemistry at Edinburgh University, says that it is 'theoretically possible' to have...
A team of UK researchers has found that second-hand cigarette smoke could affect a woman's ability to conceive. The scientists, based at Bristol University, found that passive smoking can increase a woman's chances of taking more than 12 months to conceive by up to a third. The results of the...
The police have launched an inquiry into the disappearance of several frozen embryos from the storage facilities shared by two UK fertility clinics. A previous investigation by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority uncovered discrepancies between patient records and embryos stored by the North Hampshire NHS Hospital in Basingstoke, and...
A UK man has won a landmark ruling to be recognised as the father of his ex-partner's baby - conceived through IVF - even though he shares no biological link with the child. The man and his partner started fertility treatment using donated sperm, but split up before she conceived a baby...
A team of researchers based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, has found that men with fertility problems have a slightly increased risk of developing testicular cancer. The results of the study were published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) last week. The scientists compared the results of semen analyses...
Attempts to bar three men from jobs on the basis of their families' medical history have been ruled as unlawful by a Hong Kong judge. The case, reported by the Observer newspaper, was hailed last week as 'a great victory in an important rights case' by their lawyer Gerard McCoy...
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On nappies, cigarettes and the media
by Juliet Tizzard
Two studies covered in this week's BioNews have caught the attention of the British public. According to press reports, the first study, carried out in Germany, showed a link between the use of disposable nappies on male babies and infertility later in life. The other study, of men and women...