Pregnant women who smoke could harm their sons' fertility

London, Nov 15 (UNI) Women who smoke during pregnancy could harm their son's fertility as the cigarette smoke can almost halve levels of a gene that helps sperm count, researchers have found.

The researchers believe that boys could also have problems with their testicle development.

''The gene that plays a key role in normal male development has been linked to maternal smoking and fertility problems,'' The Mirror quoted Paul Fowler of Aberdeen University as saying.

''It reinforces the very clear message that women should not smoke during pregnancy, '' his colleague Prof Siladitya Bhattacharya added.

UNI