Therapist warns of crop-top fertility risk

TEENAGE girls who wear skimpy crop-tops risk becoming infertile in later life, it was claimed yesterday.

Dr Wei-Xiong Chen, a leading practitioner in alternative medicine, said youngsters who exposed their midriffs in inclement weather could permanently affect their chances of having children.

Dr Chen, who runs a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Glasgow, claimed that cold weather blocked the energy channels which run through the stomach.

He warned that plunging necklines and mini-skirts worn in low temperatures to copy celebrities such as Charlotte Church and Jordan could lead to infertility.

The doctor has written to Andy Kerr, the health minister, to persuade the Scottish Executive to warn teenagers of the dangers of the "unhealthy" fashion.

He said: "When the stomach area is exposed to cold air it can block the blood and energy flow in that area. It's dangerous."

Dr Chen said poor circulation caused by the cold could thin the womb lining, leading to painful periods and infertility. He added: "The unhealthy environment inside the womb is the biggest factor behind infertility in modern society.

"The health minister should listen to these concerns because infertility costs the NHS money through expensive IVF treatments."

Dr Chen said in five to ten years the NHS would see a surge in required treatments and a drop in Scotland's population.

Dr Chen, the sole Scottish member of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine UK, has treated hundreds of women since he set up Hui Chun Clinic in Glasgow in 1986.

Dr Chen said about one case in three of infertility was unexplained by traditional medicine, but alternative medicine could help further understanding.

But traditional fertility experts were unconvinced. Alison Murdoch, professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, said: "Culturally, people across the world wear clothing that exposes their midriffs all the time. There is no research in traditional medicine to support this. Having families later and obesity are much more important in leading to infertility than this.

"Young girls running between clubs in tiny clothes are probably doing more damage to themselves through other lifestyle choices, like drinking."

Alison McTavish, a nurse manager at the University of Aberdeen, said: "I don't think there is any cause for alarm among young girls. Blood flow can cause issues for pregnancy, but that is caused by an internal problem, not the cold.

"Until I see evidence to the contrary I would put it on a par with old wives' tales which say that cropped tops will give you a chill on your kidneys."

However, the truly fashion conscious know that very short tops are no longer on trend.

A spokeswoman for Topshop said: "Fortunately, fashion is leading in the direction of longer line tops anyway which finish lower down, although there are a lot of cropped jumpers. Fashion has moved away from the top that sits on or above the hip."

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said it would consider Dr Chen's concerns when it received his correspondence. But he added: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that wearing crop-tops in cold weather can lead to fertility problems."