Undescended testicle (cryptorchidism)

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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Factors that might increase the risk of undescended testicle in a newborn include:

  • Low birth weight
  • Premature birth
  • Family history of undescended testicle or other problems of genital development
  • Conditions of the fetus that can restrict growth, such as Down syndrome or an abdominal wall defect
  • Alcohol use by the mother during pregnancy
  • Cigarette smoking by the mother or exposure to secondhand smoke
  • Obesity in the mother
  • Diabetes in the mother — type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes
  • Parents' exposure to some pesticides
References
  1. Ashley RA, et al. Cryptorchidism: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Urologic Clinics of North America. 2010;37:183.
  2. Cooper CS, et al. Undescended testes (cryptorchidism) in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Feb. 15, 2013.
  3. Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2013.
  4. Lao OB, et al. Pediatric inguinal hernias, hydroceles, and undescended testicles. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2012;92:487.
  5. Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 28, 2013.
  6. Granberg CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 28, 2013.
DS00845 April 11, 2013

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