Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment

生命研究的目的是评估环境因素对人类生殖和发展的影响，广义的环境因素包括生活方式因素。LIFE研究符合国家儿童健康和人类发展研究所的使命，包括开展基础、临床和流行病学研究，重点研究与人类生殖和发育相关的因素和过程，从而确保健康婴儿的出生能够达到完全成年的潜力，不受身体或智力残疾的损害。 这项研究将评估选定的环境因素与人类繁殖力和生育力的关系。这项研究建议招募和保留800对有兴趣怀孕并愿意参与纵向研究的夫妇。情侣将从同行评议的竞争性提案中选出的地理区域中挑选出来。生育力将通过夫妇怀孕所需的时间来衡量，而生育力将通过夫妇生下活着的婴儿的能力来衡量。尝试12个月内不能怀孕的夫妇将被确认为不孕不育。研究的主要环境暴露包括：有机氯农药；多氯联苯；多溴联苯醚；金属；全氟化合物；可替宁；植物雌激素。越来越多的文献表明，这些化合物可能会对人类的生殖和发育产生不利影响；然而，缺乏明确的数据，特别是对于敏感的终点。夫妇将参加25分钟的基线访谈，并接受使用家庭生育监测器和怀孕工具包的指导，以计算怀孕和检测怀孕所需的时间。夫妇双方的血液和尿液样本将在基线上采集，以测量环境暴露情况。两份男性伴侣的精液样本和两份女性伴侣的唾液样本也将被要求。精液样本将被用于全球评估男性的生育能力，主要是通过精子密度和形态来衡量。唾液样本将用于测量女性伴侣的皮质醇水平，作为压力的标志，以便评估环境因素、压力和人类生殖之间的关系。 目前正在对一些与夫妇生育能力下降有关的环境化学物质进行数据分析。

The purpose of the LIFE Study is to assess the impact of environmental factors, broadly defined to include lifestyle factors, on human reproduction and development. The LIFE Study is consistent with the mission of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that includes conducting basic, clinical and epidemiologic research focusing on factors and processes associated with human reproduction and development thereby, ensuring the birth of healthy infants capable of reaching full adult potential unimpaired by physical or mental disabilities. This study will assess the relation between select environmental factors and human fecundity and fertility. This research proposes to recruit and retain 800 couples interested in becoming pregnant and willing to participate in a longitudinal study. Couples will be selected from geographic regions that were chosen from peer reviewed competitive proposals. Fecundity will be measured by the time required for the couples to achieve pregnancy, while fertility will be measured by the ability of couples to have a live born infant. Infertility will be recognized for couples unable to conceive within 12 months of trying. The studys primary environmental exposures include: organochlorine pesticides; polychlorinated biphenyls; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; metals; perfluorinated compounds; cotinine; and phytoestrogens. A growing body of literature suggests these compounds may exert adverse effects on human reproduction and development; however, definitive data are lacking especially for sensitive endpoints. Couples will participate in a 25-minute baseline interview and be instructed in the use of home fertility monitors and pregnancy kits for counting the time required for pregnancy and detecting pregnancy. Blood and urine samples will be collected at baseline from both partners of the couple for measurement of the environmental exposures. Two semen samples from male partners and two saliva samples from female partners also will be requested. Semen samples will be used to globally assess male fecundity as measured primarily by sperm concentration and morphology. Saliva samples will be used for the measurement of cortisol levels as a marker of stress among female partners so that the relation between environmental factors, stress and human reproduction can be assessed. Data analysis is underway with a number of environmental chemicals associated with diminished couple fecundity.