Eco-fertility: Examining the Climate Change-total Fertility Rate Nexus in the Context of Sustainable Developmental Goals in a Systematic Review Approach

Overview

Journal Med Rev (2021)

Publisher De Gruyter

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 20

PMID 39974556

Authors

Pallav Sengupta

Sulagna Dutta

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are paramount as the global community confronts the ramifications of climate alterations, especially its implications on population dynamics. Initial studies suggest an intricate relationship between environmental determinants and reproductive choices. This systematic review elucidates the complex interplay between climate-related challenges and observed global fertility rate variations. A comprehensive search and analysis of literature published in the last 10 years (2013-2023), available in the PubMed database, delineates the relationship between environmental changes and fertility patterns in both human and animal populations. The review highlighted significant effects of climatic fluctuations on reproductive health, manifested as either adaptive or maladaptive responses to environmental stressors. This relationship not only influences population trajectories but may also have complications for the SDGs, specifically those pertaining to health, well-being, and gender equality. The study emphasizes the importance of intertwining demographic insights with ecological considerations. A deeper understanding of the nexus between climate and fertility can augment strategies aimed at global sustainability. The synthesized evidence underscores the urgency for further research, which seeks to seamlessly incorporate eco-fertility perspectives into wider climate and sustainability discussions.

References

Consales C, Leter G, Bonde J, Toft G, Eleuteri P, Moccia T . Indices of methylation in sperm DNA from fertile men differ between distinct geographical regions. Hum Reprod. 2014; 29(9):2065-72. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deu176. View

. Climate and Environmental Change: A Generation at Risk. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2023; 48(4):E7. DOI: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000933. View

Sammad A, Umer S, Shi R, Zhu H, Zhao X, Wang Y . Dairy cow reproduction under the influence of heat stress. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2019; 104(4):978-986. DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13257. View

Pizzol D, Foresta C, Garolla A, Demurtas J, Trott M, Bertoldo A . Pollutants and sperm quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020; 28(4):4095-4103. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11589-z. View

McMichael T, Montgomery H, Costello A . Health risks, present and future, from global climate change. BMJ. 2012; 344:e1359. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e1359. View

Findlay J, Holland M, Wong B . Reproductive science and the future of the planet. Reproduction. 2019; 158(3):R91-R96. DOI: 10.1530/REP-18-0640. View

Soga M, Gaston K . The ecology of human-nature interactions. Proc Biol Sci. 2020; 287(1918):20191882. PMC: 7003467. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1882. View

Kieny M, Bekedam H, Dovlo D, Fitzgerald J, Habicht J, Harrison G . Strengthening health systems for universal health coverage and sustainable development. Bull World Health Organ. 2017; 95(7):537-539. PMC: 5487973. DOI: 10.2471/BLT.16.187476. View

Bishop C, Selvaraj V, Townson D, Pate J, Wiltbank M . History, insights, and future perspectives on studies into luteal function in cattle. J Anim Sci. 2022; 100(7). PMC: 9246667. DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac143. View

10.

Erasmus L, van Marle-Koster E . Moving towards sustainable breeding objectives and cow welfare in dairy production: a South African perspective. Trop Anim Health Prod. 2021; 53(5):470. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02914-w. View

11.

Visser M . Keeping up with a warming world; assessing the rate of adaptation to climate change. Proc Biol Sci. 2008; 275(1635):649-59. PMC: 2409451. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0997. View

12.

Gotmark F, Andersson M . Human fertility in relation to education, economy, religion, contraception, and family planning programs. BMC Public Health. 2020; 20(1):265. PMC: 7036237. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-8331-7. View

13.

Landrigan P, Raps H, Cropper M, Bald C, Brunner M, Canonizado E . The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Ann Glob Health. 2023; 89(1):23. PMC: 10038118. DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4056. View

14.

Egger-Danner C, Cole J, Pryce J, Gengler N, Heringstad B, Bradley A . Invited review: overview of new traits and phenotyping strategies in dairy cattle with a focus on functional traits. Animal. 2014; 9(2):191-207. PMC: 4299537. DOI: 10.1017/S1751731114002614. View

15.

Huber E, Notaro U, Recce S, Rodriguez F, Ortega H, Salvetti N . Fetal programming in dairy cows: Effect of heat stress on progeny fertility and associations with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions. Anim Reprod Sci. 2020; 216:106348. DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106348. View

16.

DAngelo A, Ferraguti G, Petrella C, Greco A, Ralli M, Vitali M . Challenges for Midwives' Healthcare Practice in the Next Decade: COVID-19 - Global Climate Changes - Aging and Pregnancy - Gestational Alcohol Abuse. Clin Ter. 2020; 171(1):e30-e36. DOI: 10.7417/CT.2021.2277. View

17.

Orton F, Tyler C . Do hormone-modulating chemicals impact on reproduction and development of wild amphibians?. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2014; 90(4):1100-17. DOI: 10.1111/brv.12147. View

18.

Skakkebaek N, Lindahl-Jacobsen R, Levine H, Andersson A, Jorgensen N, Main K . Environmental factors in declining human fertility. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2021; 18(3):139-157. DOI: 10.1038/s41574-021-00598-8. View

19.

McNutt M . Climate change impacts. Science. 2013; 341(6145):435. DOI: 10.1126/science.1243256. View

20.

Margolis R, Myrskyla M . A global perspective on happiness and fertility. Popul Dev Rev. 2011; 37(1):29-56. PMC: 3345518. DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2011.00389.x. View