Autumn, best time to try for a family

FOR couples thinking about trying for a baby, now might be a good time to start.

A study has found sperm quality is at its best in autumn and spring.

These ‘in-between seasons’ provide relief from the excesses of Christmas overeating and alcoholic summer barbecues, which can harm men’s fertility.

They are also cooler than summer, when warmer temperatures can reduce sperm counts. Doctors examined sperm samples from 29,000 men from 2001 to 2018 to find trends in semen quality over the year.

The number of motile sperm – which swim best – was highest in spring, and the most normally shaped sperm – best for conceiving – were in autumn. Study lead author Dr Taraneh Nazem, of Icahn School of Medicine in New York, said: ‘There’s something about these in-between seasons.

‘Maybe autumn and spring are a little bit more balanced, and temperatures are milder.’

The research, presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Denver, Colorado, echoes a 2014 study by Sheffield University which also found sperm quality was worst in summer.

Fertility expert Stuart Lavery, of Imperial College London, said: ‘The authors have performed a very interesting study… confirming that seasonal variation in semen quality does exist.’