Laptops 'may affect male fertility'

Just give a second thought before you perch the laptop computer on your lap -- it can affect your fertility. Researchers in the US have carried out a study and found that the heat generated by the laptops raises the risk of infertility in men who balance the machines on their lap, the 'WebMD' reported.

"Working on laptop computers in a laptop position causes significant scrotal temperature elevation as a result of heat exposure and posture-related effects," according to lead researcher Prof Yefim Sheynkin. Prof Sheynkin and his fellow researchers at the State University of New York came to the conclusion after studying 29 healthy young men aged between 21 and 35 for two, one-hour sessions in a climate-controlled room. Participants were all similarly dressed in casual wears.

After having their body temperature taken and standing in the room for 15 minutes to adjust to the room's internal temperature, they sat down and were given working and non-working

laptop computers. The men balanced the computers on their laps.

The researchers then removed the nonworking computers, instructing the participants to hold the position for the rest of the session. Participants with working laptop computers kept the computers in place throughout the session.

The men's scrotal temperature was recorded every three minutes. The temperature on the bottom of the working laptops was also monitored. According to their findings, scrotal temperature rose with the working and non-working computers.

The working ones prompted a greater increase in scrotal temperature -- around 2.7 degrees Celsius -- enough to cause infertility. So, best not to balance them on the lap.