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Menstrual cycle characteristics and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort

Elizabeth E Hatch, Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Craig J McKinnon, Ellen M Mikkelsen, Kenneth J Rothman, Joseph B Stanford, Amelia K Wesselink, Lauren A Wise

  • Department of Epidemiology Boston University School of Public Health Boston MA USA ROR
  • Department of Clinical Epidemiology Aarhus University Hospital Aarhus Denmark ROR
  • University of Utah ROR
  • Authors' Affiliations: 1Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts and 2Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District... ROR

Annals of epidemiology, 26(7), 482-487.e1

DOI 10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.05.006 PMID 27449569

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between menstrual cycle characteristics in early life and adulthood and fecundability.

Methods

Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) is an Internet-based preconception cohort study of pregnancy planners from the United States and Canada. During the preconception period, we enrolled 2189 female pregnancy planners aged 21-45 years who had been attempting conception for ≤6 cycles. Women self-reported menstrual cycle characteristics via an online baseline questionnaire, and pregnancy status was ascertained through bimonthly follow-up questionnaires. Proportional probabilities models were used to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Compared with usual menstrual cycle lengths of 27-29 days, cycle lengths of <25 (FR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.54-1.22) and 25-26 days (FR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.75-1.14) were associated with reduced fecundability. Compared with women who reached menarche at the age of 12-13 years, those who reached menarche at <12 years had reduced fecundability (FR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76-0.99). Women whose cycles never regularized after menarche (FR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.81-1.06) had slightly reduced fecundability compared with women whose cycles regularized within 2 years of menarche. Bleed length and heaviness of bleeding were not appreciably associated with fecundability.

Conclusions

Menstrual cycle characteristics, specifically cycle length and age at menarche, may act as markers of fertility potential among pregnancy planners.

Topics

Fertility AwarenessMenstrual CycleInfertility
menstrual cycle length fecundability, irregular menstruation time to pregnancy, cycle characteristics conception probability, menarche age fertility association, menstrual regularity fecundability, PRESTO cohort menstrual cycle, dysmenorrhea fecundability, heavy menstrual bleeding fertility, menstrual cycle predictors conception, early life menstruation fertility outcomes
PMID 27449569 27449569 DOI 10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.05.006 10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.05.006

Cite this article

Wesselink, A. K., Wise, L. A., Hatch, E. E., Rothman, K. J., Mikkelsen, E. M., Stanford, J. B., McKinnon, C. J., & Mahalingaiah, S. (2016). Menstrual cycle characteristics and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort. *Annals of epidemiology*, *26*(7), 482-487.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.05.006

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