Prospective dads warned about heated car seats

Men who hope the coming years will bring them a pregnant wife and plenty of opportunities to try out their parenting skills may want to heed the advice of German researchers and steer clear of heated car seats.

A study published in Fertility and Sterility found that spending 90 minutes sitting on this type of seat – a feature in some luxury cars – raised the temperature within men’s testicles, Reuters Health reports.

High scrotal temperature has been linked in previous studies to a decrease in sperm quality. To be most effective, testicular temperature should be slightly lower than that of the body as a whole.

However, lead researcher Dr Andreas Jung told the news provider that more research is needed to draw strong conclusions about long-term use of car seats before making any firm recommendations.

Between 35 and 40 percent of problems with conception originate with the male, according to WebMD, while another 35 to 40 percent lie with the female. The rest are a result of both genders.

Low sperm count, slow sperm movement, abnormal sperm shape and size, and semen problems are the leading reasons that a man may suffer from fertility difficulties.