Of late, doctors are seeing increasing numbers of employees of the IT sector coming in with problems conceiving. “Over the last few years, the numbers of young couples we get from this sector has been on the rise,” said Dr Jeyarani Kamaraj, infertility expert at the Aakash Fertility Centre and Hospital. While there has been no official study or exploration into this, statistics from individual hospitals show a definite increase. GG Hospital has seen a gradual increase in numbers over the last three years with the figure touching 250 last year.

“Their high pressure jobs, night shifts and stress - all seem to lead to a number of problems ending with infertility,” said Dr Priya Selvaraj.

It begins with delaying of the first child, say doctors. When the couple does decide to have a baby, a combination of other factors makes it difficult.

“We had a couple who worked two different shifts at two different IT companies. They barely saw each other and had no time for a healthy marital relationship. Deadlines were always on their minds and they ate out three times a day,” said Dr Kamaraj.

Dr Selvaraj feels if IT companies extract a lot of work out of their employees, they should also ensure their health and well-being. “Gyms for exercise and a canteen where they get nutritious food and not junk should be part of every company,” she said. This gets coupled with the intense anxiety of not being able to conceive and familial pressure to do so. “All of this can lead to a hormonal imbalance, which in turn affects their fertility,” said Dr Kamaraj.