A woman’s blood type could affect her fertility and influence her chances of becoming a mother, say researchers.
A new study has found that women with blood type O may find it harder to get pregnant as they have fewer eggs and eggs of poorer quality. However, women with blood group A seem to have better fertility prospects. For the study, the researchers from Yale University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York tested 560 women, with an average age of 35, who were all undergoing fertility treatment.
They took blood samples from the women to measure levels of follicle stimulating hormone, a well known marker of fertility. FSH levels greater than 10 suggest a woman will have more difficulty conceiving. A high FSH level indicates a diminished ovarian reserve, which refers to both the quality and quantity of eggs available.
The study found that women who were blood type O were twice as likely to have an FSH level greater than 10 than those in any other blood group. Some 44 per cent of the UK population are blood group O, the British media reported.