Study Finds Parasitic Worm Makes Bolivian Women Conceive Faster

It is said the most fertile women in the world are the Tsimane community of Bolivia. On an average they have nine to ten children. New finding suggests they are infected by parasitic worm that appears to be the link in helping pregnancy faster and easier.

Researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara collection information from about 1,000 Tsimane women and found those who are infected with roundworm are more fertile compared to those infected with hookworm.

Lead author of the study, Professor Aaron Blackwell, said the roundworm infection helps in earlier first births and also reducing the inter-birth intervals where as the hookworm leads to delayed first pregnancy and extended inter-birth intervals.

The Tsimane women who are infected with roundworm has up to twelve children where as those infected with hookworm has up to seven children.

Details of the study are published in this week’s Science journal. It writes the worm helps in altering the immune system in the women and makes easier to become pregnant.

Health experts say the new study could help in researching for novel fertility enhancing drugs. Treating fertility with worms has possibility but it is warned not to recommend to anyone as further research is required.

Parasitic worm infection leads to fever, anaemia, shortness of breath and also leads to fatal complications in some cases.