Brain, Fertility, and stress

Did you know that the brain is the first body organ to recognize a stressor? Couple that with “everything starts and ends in the brain” and it’s no surprise that fertility is impacted by stress. This can sometimes be seen when couple, who have been unable to have a child, decide to adopt and within weeks to months the wife becomes pregnant. The Harvard Business Review recently reported in The Daily Stat that fertility rates in 15 of 22 European Union countries have declined since the financial crisis began in 2008. Estimates are that a 2.1 fertility rate is needed to keep a country’s population stable. Rates have fallen below that number in at least Greece, Spain, and Ireland. It makes one wonder what other types of health issues may be on the horizon as stressors proliferate around the globe. It certainly argues for the development and implementation of effective stress-management techniques on an individual basis.