High Fertility Rates Research Articles

Factors influencing fertility rates in Australian women receiving kidney replacement therapy: analysis of linked Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry and perinatal data over 22 years.

Pregnancy in women receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is uncommon, and trends and factors influencing fertility rates remain poorly defined. The Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) was linked to mandatory perinatal data sets (all births from 1991 to 2013, ≥20 weeks' gestation) in four Australian jurisdictions. Overall, age- and era-specific fertility rates were calculated based on general and KRT population denominators. From 2 948 084 births, 248 babies were born to 168 mothers receiving KRT (37 babies born to 31 dialysed mothers; 211 babies born to 137 transplanted mothers). Substantial agreement between ANZDATA and perinatal data sets was observed for birth events and outcomes. Transplanted women had higher fertility rates than dialysed women in all analyses, with 21.4 live births/1000 women/year [95% confidence interval (CI) 18.6-24.6] in transplanted women, 5.8 (95% CI 4.1-8.1) in dialysed women and 61.9 (95% CI 61.8-62.0) in the non-KRT cohort. Fertility rates for dialysed women rose in recent years. After adjusting for maternal age and treatment modality, Caucasian women had higher fertility rates, while women with pre-existing diabetes, or transplanted women with exposure to KRT for ≤3.0 years had lower rates. As expected, transplanted women with a pre-conception estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 or transplant-to-pregnancy interval of <1.0 year had lower fertility rates. Geographical location, socioeconomic status and primary disease (glomerulonephritis versus other) did not affect fertility rates. Reporting of births to ANZDATA is sufficiently accurate to justify ongoing data collection. Rising fertility rates in dialysed women may indicate permissive attitudes towards pregnancy. Treatment modality, ethnicity, diabetes, pre-conception eGFR, transplant-to-pregnancy interval and duration of KRT exposure were associated with fertility rates. These factors should be considered when counselling women with kidney disease about parenthood.

Nutritional status and its determinants among community-dwelling older adults in Jordan.

The elderly population of Jordan is growing, due to the low mortality rate, high total fertility rate, and the high rate of forced migration from neighboring countries to Jordan in recent years. However, the prevalence of chronic illnesses associated with other comorbidities among the elderly population in Jordan is high. Maintaining a good nutritional status is essential for maintaining general health and well-being amongolder people. The aim of thisstudy is to identify the nutritional status of community-dwelling older adults in Jordan and determine its possible associated factors. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was utilized. Proportional multistage nonprobability sampling was employed to obtain a convenient sample of 225 Jordanian community-dwelling older adults. The participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires related to nutritional status, which included a demographic information sheet, and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Among the sample, only 60 participants (26.7%) showed normal nutritional status. Most of the participants (n = 156; 68.3%) were found to be at risk of malnutrition, and nine participants (4%) were found to suffer from malnutrition. Advanced age (r = -0.631; p = 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.546; p = 0.001), being single (mean (M) = 20.43, SD = 3.55), being male (M = 21.10, SD = 3.73), being unemployed (M = 21.71, SD = 3.51), being dependent in activities of daily living (ADLs) (M = 21.35; SD = 3.62), eating only two meals per day (M = 19.60; SD = 3.39), having suffered from illness or anxiety in the preceding 3 months (M = 21.11; SD = 2.39), having a mid-arm circumference of less than 31 cm (M = 19.51; SD = 3.47), low consumption of fruit and vegetables (M = 20.79; SD = 2.53), and polypharmacy (M = 20.62, SD = 4.09) were found to predict susceptibility to malnutrition among the participating older adults. Amongst the variables, age was identified as the most significant predictor of nutritional status and explained approximately 40% of the variance in nutritional status. Malnutrition in older adults is a multifaceted phenomenon that needs to be integrated into the comprehensive assessment of older adults. It is essential that health-care professionals, particularly nurses, are fully aware of the associated risks of malnutrition among the elderly population. The high prevalence of the risk factors for malnutrition warrants conducting a controlled national-based assessment, using probability sampling, of the nutritional status among older adults in Jordan. Specifically, there is a real need to assess nutritional status among older adults who are at high risk of malnutrition, including senior, unmarried, male, unemployed, ADL dependent, and/or poly-medicated older adults.

Effect of Cryopreservation and Packaging System on Sperm Motility and Fertility of Striped Catfish

AbstractThe Orinoco Striped Catfish Pseudoplatystoma orinocoense is a highly valued commercial‐capture species in Colombia. Although this species was considered endangered and is now in a recovery situation, there are still no cryopreservation studies for its milt. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cryopreservation media and two packaging systems on the sperm motility and fertilization capacity of Striped Catfish. A first experiment was conducted to test the effects of two permeating cryoprotectants (10% dimethyl sulfoxide and 12% methanol) combined with glucose at two concentrations (5.5% and 10%) and with two membrane stabilizers (12% egg yolk and 5% whole milk powder) on the post‐thaw motility of milt samples that were packed into 0.5‐mL straws. The cryopreservation media with the best results in the first experiment were selected for a second experiment in which we evaluated 5‐mL macrotubes as a packaging system. In this case, the response variables were sperm motility and fertility rate. In both experiments, milt with sperm motility that exceeded 90% was diluted at a 1:6 (volume basis) ratio in each of the two cryopreservation media. The diluted samples were packed, equilibrated (for 10 min), then frozen in a nitrogen‐vapor dry shipper for 30 min, and finally stored in liquid nitrogen until they were evaluated. Each factor and its interactions showed a significant effect (P &lt; 0.001) on post‐thaw sperm motility in experiment 1. The best protection during cryopreservation was obtained when 12% methanol supplemented with 5.5% glucose was used as a permeating cryoprotectant, yielding an average motility of 33.3 ± 5.1% (mean ± SD) and 64 ± 5.4% in the 0.5‐ and 5‐mL packaging systems, respectively. Similarly, the highest fertility rate (85%) was recorded under this treatment, with no significant difference (P &gt; 0.05) from the fresh milt. Therefore, Striped Catfish milt can be cryopreserved in 5‐mL macrotubes by using 12% methanol and 5.5% glucose, without the addition of membrane stabilizers.

Integration of multi-omics approaches for functional characterization of muscle related selective sweep genes in Nanchukmacdon

Pig as a food source serves daily dietary demand to a wide population around the world. Preference of meat depends on various factors with muscle play the central role. In this regards, selective breeding abled us to develop “Nanchukmacdon” a pig breeds with an enhanced variety of meat and high fertility rate. To identify genomic regions under selection we performed whole-genome resequencing, transcriptome, and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing from Nanchukmacdon muscles samples and used published data for three other breeds such as Landrace, Duroc, Jeju native pig and analyzed the functional characterization of candidate genes. In this study, we present a comprehensive approach to identify candidate genes by using multi-omics approaches. We performed two different methods XP-EHH, XP-CLR to identify traces of artificial selection for traits of economic importance. Moreover, RNAseq analysis was done to identify differentially expressed genes in the crossed breed population. Several genes (UGT8, ZGRF1, NDUFA10, EBF3, ELN, UBE2L6, NCALD, MELK, SERP2, GDPD5, and FHL2) were identified as selective sweep and differentially expressed in muscles related pathways. Furthermore, nucleotide diversity analysis revealed low genetic diversity in Nanchukmacdon for identified genes in comparison to related breeds and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data shows the critical role of DNA methylation pattern in identified genes that leads to enhanced variety of meat. This work demonstrates a way to identify the molecular signature and lays a foundation for future genomic enabled pig breeding.

Karyomorphology, Meiotic Behaviours and Pollen Fertility of Calendula officinalis L. (Calenduleae- Asteraceae)

The present study includes chromosome number, karyomorphology, meiotic behaviors and pollen fertility of the species Calendula officinalis L.collected from central Nepal was cytologically carried out using two percent aceto-orcein for somatic chromosome determination and one percent aceto-carmine for meiotic study. Pollen fertility was based on stainability test using Muntzing solution. Somatic chromosome number determined for this taxon were 2n=28, haploid chromosome number n=14 and pollen fertility found to be 84.4 percent in the present study. In karyotype analysis chromosome length ranged from 0.4 to 2.6 µm and mean length was 1.5 µm. Likewise, absolute length found to be 21.9 µm and karyotype formula obtained was M16+m4+ sm8. Three types of chromosomes centromere at middle point, at median region and at sub –median region were observed. Meiosis with regular and irregular behaviors was observed in this study. The variations in chromosome numbers, irregularities in meiotic behaviors, variations in karyomorphological structure and high fertility rate shows evolve nature of this species which play a great role in evolution. Pollen fertility was also affected by meiotic abnormalities.&#x0D; Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 9(1): 75-79

Time to first birth and its predictors among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia: inverse Weibull gamma shared frailty model

BackgroundHigh maternal and child death with high fertility rate have been reported in Ethiopia. Extreme age at first birth is linked with both maternal and child morbidity and mortality. However, literatures showed there were limited studies on the timing of the first birth and its predictors in the area so far. Therefore, determining the time to first birth and its predictors will help to design strategies to improve maternal and child survival.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia using the Ethiopian demographic health survey, 2016 data. Stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique was used for sampling. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate time to first birth. Inverse Weibull gamma shared frailty model applied to model the data at 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) and median hazard ratio (MHR) were reported as effect size. Proportional hazard assumption checked using Schoenfeld residual test. Information Criteria were applied to select a parsimonious model. Stratified analysis performed for the interaction terms and statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05.ResultsThe overall median age at first birth was found to be 20 years (IQR, 16–24 years). The independent predictors of time to first birth were: married 15–17 years (AHR = 2.33, 95% CI 2.08–2.63), secondary education level (AHR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.78–0.96), higher education level (AHR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.65–0.85), intercourse before 15 years in the married stratum (AHR = 23.81, 95% CI 22.22–25.64), intercourse 15–17 years in married stratum (AHR = 5.56, 95% CI 5.26–5.88), spousal age difference (AHR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.05–1.16),and use of contraceptives (AHR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.97). The median increase in the hazard of early childbirth in a cluster with higher early childbirth is 16% (MHR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.13–1.20) than low risk clusters adjusting for other factors.ConclusionIn this study, first birth was found to be at an early age. Early age at first marriage, at first sexual intercourse and their interaction, high spousal age difference, being Muslim were found to increase early motherhood. Conversely, living in the most urban region, secondary and higher women education were identified to delay the first birth. Investing on women education and protecting them from early marriage is required to optimize time to first birth. The contextual differences in time to first birth are an important finding which requires more study and interventions.

Urbanization, long-run growth, and the demographic transition

AbstractAdvanced economies undergo three transitions during their development: (1) transition from a rural to an urban economy, (2) transition from low-income growth to high-income growth, (3) transition from high fertility and mortality rates to low modern levels. The timings of these transitions are correlated in the historical development of most advanced economies. I consider a nonlinear model of endogenous long-run economic and demographic change, in which child quantity-quality substitution is driven by declining child mortality. Because the model captures the interactions between all three transitions, it is able to explain three additional empirical patterns: a declining urban-rural wage gap, a declining rural-urban family size ratio, and most surprisingly, that early urbanization slows development. This third prediction distinguishes the model from other theories of long-run growth, and I document evidence for it in cross-country data.

Time to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Uptake Over Twelve Months Postpartum: Findings of the Yam Daabo Cluster Randomized-Controlled Trial in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PurposeAn earlier adoption of contraceptive methods during the postpartum period could help women to extend the inter-pregnancy interval. This article aimed to determine and compare the timing of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) use (ie, intrauterine device and implant) in Burkina Faso (BF) and DR Congo (DRC) between the intervention and control groups.Patients and MethodsA total of 1120 postpartum women were enrolled and followed up to 12 months postpartum. We used Yam-Daabo trial data which was a multi-intervention, single-blinded, cluster-randomised controlled trial done in primary health-care centres (clusters) in both countries. Centres were randomly allocated to receive the six-component intervention or standard antenatal and postnatal care in matched pairs (1:1). We did a secondary analysis using Royston-Parmar’s semi-parametric model to estimate the effect of the interventions on the median time of LARC uptake.ResultsOur analysis included 567 postpartum women in BF (284 in the intervention group and 283 in the control group) and 553 in the DRC (274 in the intervention group and 279 in the control group). After showing an increase in family planning use in these two African countries, Yam Daabo’s interventions showed a reduction of the median time of LARCs adoption in the intervention group compared to the control group in both countries (difference of 39 days in Burkina Faso; difference of 86 days in the DR Congo).ConclusionThe Yam Daabo intervention package resulted in increased and earlier adoption of LARC in rural settings in Burkina Faso and urban settings in DR Congo. Such an intervention could be relevant in similar contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa with very high fertility rates and high unmet needs for contraception.

Viewpoints of pregnant mothers and community health workers on antenatal care in Lweza village, Uganda.

Uganda is a low-income country with high fertility, adolescent birth, and maternal mortality rates. How Ugandan Ministry of Health antenatal education guidelines have been implemented into standardized health education and how pregnant women utilize health facilities remains unclear. We aimed to determine how women obtain education during pregnancy, what guidelines health educators follow, and what barriers exist to receiving antenatal care in Lweza Village, Uganda. Household surveys were conducted with women in Lweza who were or had previously been pregnant. Focus group discussions were conducted with community members and Lweza Primary School teachers. Interviews were conducted with key informants, including midwives, a traditional birth attendant, a community leader, and a Village Health Team member. Data collection was done in English along with a Luganda translator. Of the 100 household surveys conducted, 86% of women did not meet the WHO recommendation of 8 antenatal appointments during their pregnancies. Reasons cited for inadequate visits included facing long wait times (>7 h) at health facilities, getting education from family or traditional healers, or being told to delay antenatal care until 6 months pregnant. Informant interviews revealed that no standardized antenatal education program exists. Respondents felt least educated on family planning and postpartum depression, despite 37% of them reporting symptoms consistent with postpartum depression. Education was also lacking on the use of traditional herbs, although most women (60%) reported using them during pregnancy. Most women in Lweza do not receive 8 antenatal appointments during their pregnancies or any standardized antenatal education. Educational opportunities on family planning, postpartum depression, and the safety of traditional herbs during pregnancy exist. Future studies should focus on ways to overcome barriers to antenatal care, which could include implementing community-based education programs to improve health outcomes for women in Lweza Village.

Violence and precarity: A neglected cause of large family sizes in Pakistan

ABSTRACT A key objective of Pakistan’s family planning program has been to increase awareness of the benefits of a small family. Despite five decades of effort, family size ideals of four children persist. Research suggests a preference for large families and many sons is driven by an economic and gender order that situates sons, and subsequent large families, as a form of financial and social capital. We argue an additional factor promoting large family size in Pakistan is precarity. Drawing upon 13 months’ of ethnographic work from a village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, our data show our respondents’ preference for large families with several sons was a rational response to precarity, created by economic insecurity and persistent conflict. While child mortality has reduced, the risk of an untimely conflict-related death of adult sons remains high and continues to play a crucial role in our respondents’ family size calculations. Our research contributes to the body of literature listing the forces pushing large family sizes and provides an additional explanation for Pakistan’s stagnating modern contraceptive prevalence rate. It also provides policy direction for reducing Pakistan’s high fertility rate, suggesting a need to address the upstream factors that contribute to the continuing need for large families.

Breast diseases and breast cancer screening in pregnant and puerperals in şanlıurfa province

Objective: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is breast cancer that occurs during pregnancy or within 1 year after birth. It occurs in one out of 3000-10000 pregnancies and is the most common cancer occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It was aimed to reveal the incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer in pregnant and lactating patients in a city with high fertility rates.&#x0D; Methods; Patients who presented with breast pain and palpable mass in the breast in the first year of pregnancy and lactation between December 2018 and November 2020 were prospectively recorded. 314 patients were included in the study.&#x0D; Results; The mean age of the patients was 28.7 ± 6.1 years. 258 (82.1%) of the patients were Turkish and 56 (17.8%) were Syrian nationals. The most common complaints were pain in the breast, palpable mass, redness, and breast swelling. A palpable mass in the breast was detected in 39 (12.4%) patients. As a result of the examinations and tests performed in both patients, a diagnosis of malignancy was made.&#x0D; Conclusion; Breast cancer risk increases in pregnant and breastfeeding patients. To reduce the incidence of breast cancer, it is important to perform a breast examination by a physician before or at the beginning of pregnancy and breast self-examination. From the moment of diagnosis, general surgery, obstetrics and oncology clinics should be followed with a multidisciplinary approach

Unmet need for Family Planning and Associated Factors among Married and Union Reproductive-Age Women with Disability in Southern Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study

Background or Objectives: Ethiopia has high fertility rate which around 1% of the population is affect by one from of disability. However, a little know about factor affecting unmet need of family planning to disabled women. The aim of this study was to assess the unmet need for family planning and associated factors among married disabled women in southern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 312 disabled married and union women. Simple random sampling was adopted. Data were collected by four diploma midwife and one of them proficient in sign language. Epi-info TM version-7 and SPSS version 20 for were used for entry analysis of data respectively. Result: The prevalence of unmet family planning among disabled married and union were 25.17%. Factor significantly associated with unmet need for family planning were: age group 20-24 (AOR=5.4:95% CI,1.6-18.4) time more than age above 30, not discussed with their partners and negative attitude (AOR 3:95% CI, 1.3-7.1) & (AOR 2.4:95% CI, 1.1-5.6) times more likely than counterparts respectively. Conclusion: The level of unmet need of family planning methods was high among disabled married and union women and factors significantly associated were age, discuss with partner and attitude. Therefore governmental and non-governmental organizations should work on case by case. Male involvement on reproductive discussion should address.

A paleodemographic assessment of mortality and fertility rates during the second demographic transition in rural central Indiana.

Since its inception, skeletally based paleodemographic research has emphasized the utility of biocultural models for interpreting the dynamic relationship between the sociocultural and ecological forces accompanying demographic transitions and shaping populations' health and well-being. While the demographic transition associated with the Neolithic Revolution has been a common focus in bioarcheology, the present study analyzes human skeletal remains from a large 19th century cemetery in central Indiana to examine population dynamics during the second demographic transition, a period generally characterized by decreasing fertility rates and improvements in life expectancy. This study demonstrates the potential to methodologically identify regional variations in the timing and interactions between broad-scale socioeconomic changes and technological advancements that characterized the time period through observed changes in survivorship and fertility based on age-at-death distributions. This study uses three temporally distinct samples (AD 1827-1869; 1870-1889; 1890-1935) from the Bethel Cemetery (n=503). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses with a log- rank tests are utilized to evaluate survivorship and mortality over time. Next, Cox proportional hazard analyses are employed to examine the interaction between sex and time as covariates. Finally, the D0-14/D ratio is applied to estimate fertility for each of the three temporally bounded cohorts. The Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazard modeling revealed statistically significant differences in survivorship between the three time periods. Age-specific mortality rates are reduced among adult female and male age classes in this rural community over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, resulting in the increasing life expectancies associated with the second demographic transition. While mortality in early adulthood was common during the first time period and decreases thereafter, sex was not identified as a meaningful covariate. The proportion of juveniles in the three temporal samples indicate that fertility rates were higher than national averages for the better part of the 19th century and subsequently declined around the turn of 20th century for this community. The results indicate temporal differences between the three periods, demonstrating increased survivorship and decreased mortality and fertility over time. These findings corroborate two key features of the second demographic transition characterized by the move from high rates of both fertility and mortality to reduced rates and a general easing of demographic pressures. The observed trends likely reflect improvements in health, coinciding the industrial advance and economic development within and around Indianapolis. While the socioeconomic factors characterizing the Industrial Revolution drove demographic shifts that parallel an equally important epidemiological transition, potential regional differences are discussed to highlight variability in the timing of demographic transitions. The paleodemographic methods utilized in this study demonstrate improved accuracy and efficacy, which ultimately advances researchers' potential to disentangle population-specific socioeconomic factors that may contribute to asymmetrical experiences of health and mortality.

Use of Contraceptives among Adolescents: What Does Global Evidence Show and How Can Nepal Learn?

Adolescent pregnancy is a global health problem. Early pregnancies among adolescents have major health consequences for adolescent mothers and their babies. Contraceptives can prevent early pregnancy and its consequences. However, there is a low use of contraceptives among adolescents. Global evidence has shown which programmatic approaches are effective to increase the use of contraceptives among adolescents. This is not a systematic review. Desk review was done using Google Scholar and PubMed. Different policies, strategies, and reports published by agencies were also reviewed. There is a low use of contraceptives and high unmet need for family planning and high adolescent fertility rate. Various studies conducted in different parts of the world have shown that there are some programmatic approaches implemented which are effective to improve the contraceptives use among adolescents. We have categorized the findings into three parts; i) delivery of services ii) increasing demand for services, and iii) creating an enabling environment. The use of contraceptives is low among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries including Nepal. So, the current programmatic approaches should be reviewed and the evidence-based practices implemented to bring better results. Ministry of Health and Population and partner agencies in Nepal also need to review the current programmatic approaches and implement them based on the evidence-based practices to improve contraceptives use among adolescents.

Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018

Fertility is a spatially non-stationary property of regional demographic systems. Despite the wealth of quantitative (micro–macro) information delineating short-term population dynamics in advanced economies, the contribution of economic downturns to local fertility has still been under-investigated along urban–rural gradients, especially in low-fertility contexts. Recent studies have assumed suburban fertility rates as systematically higher than urban and rural fertility rates. This assumption (hereafter known as the “suburban fertility hypothesis”) has been grounded on stylized facts and spatial regularities in advanced economies that reflect a significant role of both macro (contextual) and micro (behavioral) factors that positively influence fertility in suburban locations. To test the suburban fertility hypothesis at the macro-scale, the present study compares gross fertility rates from seven regional units of the Athens metropolitan area between 1991 and 2018. A refined spatial analysis of gross fertility rates during an economic expansion (1999–2008) and recession (2009–2018) was carried out in 115 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities of the same area. Experiencing sequential waves of economic expansion and recession, Athens’ socio-demographic dynamics were considered a sort of “quasi-experiment” for Southern Europe, linking late suburbanization with the multiple impacts of (rapid) economic downturns. Compared with both urban and rural locations, a higher fertility rate in suburban municipalities (15–20 km away from downtown Athens) was observed during the study period. However, a subtle distinction was observed during the economic expansion versus the recession. In the first period, the highest birth rates were recorded in industrial locations west of Athens, hosting economically disadvantaged communities with a relatively young population structure. With the recession, the highest fertility was associated with residential and service-specialized (wealthier) locations east of Athens, attracting resident population from neighboring areas, and better responding to crisis. The results of our study document how recent urban expansion and economic downturns have intrinsically shaped fertility dynamics, with implications for urban sustainability and social cohesion of metropolitan regions.

Exogenous Melatonin Improves the Reproductive Outcomes of Yearling Iberian Red Deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) Hinds.

Simple SummaryIncreasing the reproductive performance of hinds is considered to be a key factor of overall farm deer productivity. In the case of yearling hinds, this aspect becomes more important, as a delay in the pubertal onset will compromise the reproductive performance of the entire herd (decreased fertility), and these yearling hinds will carry this ‘late’ condition throughout their reproductive life. The aim of this study was to explore the use of melatonin implants on yearling Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds to improve their fertility outcomes, advance the calving date and the calves’ weight, and to prevent the negative impact of yearling hinds’ low liveweight on their reproductive outcomes. Melatonin implants (18 mg), administered three-fold (two implants each time) every 30 days before the breeding season, rendered significantly higher fertility rates (regardless of the yearling hind’s weight) and heavier calves, and advanced the calving date in the yearling hinds by 15 days compared to non-treated hinds. In addition, halving the number of yearling hinds that received melatonin provided a similar benefit to a large-scale treatment of the whole herd, which indicates female-to-female stimulation of the ovarian activity. Taken together, this protocol for melatonin treatment simplifies its administration, reduces its costs, and assures the enhancement of the reproductive productivity of the entire farm.The aim of this study was to assess the effect of melatonin implants on the reproductive performance of yearling Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds. It also explored exogenous melatonin administration as a tool to minimize the negative effect of a low yearling hind’s liveweight on their reproductive efficiency. In addition, the effect of melatonin-treated yearling hinds on non-treated hinds was studied in order to provide a practical and economical protocol to improve farms’ productivity. A total of 4520 Iberian red deer hinds belonging to the same farm were included in this study. Melatonin (108 mg/hind) implants were administered three-fold every 30 days before the breeding season. Fertility rates, calves’ weights and calving dates were registered for each hind. The results showed that exogenous melatonin increased significantly (p < 0.05) the calves’ weight (32.39 ± 1.07 kg vs. 27.65 ± 1.11 kg for Weight 1calf (July) and 46.59 ± 1.50 kg vs. 41.79 ± 1.54 kg for Weight 2calf (August, at weaning)) and advanced the calving date by 15 days in yearling hinds compared to the non-treated group. In addition, the administration of melatonin implants before the breeding season was able to minimize the negative effect of low yearling hinds’ liveweight (Weight 1hind) on their future reproductive outcomes, as the fertility rates increased by 46% and the calves’ weight increased by 7 kg after the melatonin treatment, regardless of the yearlings’ weight. Finally, when both experimental groups (melatonin and non-treated) were kept separate, higher fertility rates (76.73 ± 7.18% vs. 66.94 ± 7.41%) were observed for the melatonin-treated hinds compared to the non-treated hinds. However, when both groups of yearling hinds were maintained together, no significant differences were observed in their fertility outcomes (78.13 ± 21.26% vs. 78.12 ± 23.32%). Therefore, melatonin implants may be used in yearling Iberian red deer hinds as a management tool to improve their reproductive productivity.

THE HATCHING CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT STRAINS OF GRAND PARENT CHICKENS

Fertility and hatchability rates were studied in two breeds - A and B - of the domestic fowl, composed of sire (As and Bs) and dam (Ad and Bd) grandparent strains respectively. The dam strain (Ad) of A had the highest percent hatchability of 73.18%. The sire strain (Bs) of B had the highest proportion of eggs with dead germ followed by both the Ba and As lines whose values were significantly the same. Chick embryo mortality was most critical between the 18th and 21st day of incubation in all strains. The results further show that the A breed had higher rates of fertility and hatchability than the B breed, and that the dam and sire strains of both breeds performed differently with regards to the traits examined.

Reproductive performance of four exotic breeds of rabbit under different mating systems

Four exotic breeds of rabbit were subjected to two mating systems to assess their productivity. A preliminary investigation to assess suitability of oestrus synchronisation in rabbits does, using twelve does each of Fauve de Bourgogne, Chinchilla, British Spot and New Zealand White. Thereafter, 60 and 90 does each of Fauve de Bourgogne, Chinchilla, British Spot and New Zealand White were copulated within breed using natural mating and artificial insemination (AI), respectively following oestrus synchronisation in 3 mating cycles each. The does were randomly allotted to experimental units in a completely randomised design. Parameters assessed include fertility rate, litter size and productivity index at birth. The litter size of does subjected to oestrus synchronization were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than non-synchronised does. For natural mating, fertility rate obtained across the breeds showed that Chinchilla had the significantly (p&lt;0.05) highest value. Productivity index at birth of New Zealand White does was significantly (p&lt;0.05) highest, while all other three breeds were similar. For AI, fertility rate of Chinchilla was significantly (p&lt;0.05) highest across the breeds. Productivity index at birth of Fauve de Bourgogne and Chinchilla were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than other breeds. Oestrus synchronization improved conception and kindling rates of does and Chinchilla had the highest fertility rate at both mating system.

Women’s reproductive behaviour and perspectives on fertility, and their modifying factors, in a Turkish province with a high fertility rate

Objectives Population growth is an important public health problem with economic, social, cultural and political consequences. The aim of the study was to determine the reproductive behaviour and perspectives on fertility of women in Sanliurfa, the city with the highest fertility rate in Turkey. Methods The quantitative dimension of the study was carried out using a mixed methods approach in which 300 women were interviewed and a questionnaire was completed; the qualitative dimension was carried out through in-depth individual interviews with 14 women, using a semi-structured interview form. Analysis of the qualitative data was done using a content analysis technique. Results The median number of children was three (range 0–10). Women with no or a low level of education tended to have a greater number of children. Preference for a particular sex of child was one reason behind the higher number of children. These two factors were main causes of an increased number of children. Women with no or a low level of education (odds ratio [OR] 9.1) and women who expressed a preference for a male child (OR 5.9) had more children compared with other women. Participants regarded a male child as more valuable than a female child and that having many children strengthened the family. Parents regarded their sons as insurance for their old age. Having an induced abortion was perceived as a sin. Conclusion The results showed that cultural norms and values significantly affected fertility rates.

Selected socio-economic factors co-occurring with high fertility rate in the OECD countries

This article presents the results of examining selected factors co-occurring with high fertility rate in developed countries. Selected OECD countries at a similar stage of demographic development have been subjected to analysis. By means of cluster analysis, the selected developed countries have also been identified according to the type of adopted family policy. It has been found that the developed countries which spend more on family policy in relation to GDP are generally characterised by higher fertility rates than those which spend less. In the light of those findings, the family-policy expenditures which allow women to reconcile professional work with raising children turned out to be particularly important. The fertility rate has also been found to clearly correlate with labour market rates, with the level of women’s professional activity in particular. Moreover, in the developed countries the relatively high fertility rate is accompanied by low rates of young people who do not work or attend school and are not in vocational training, as well as a high rate of extramarital births.