Do Faulty Sperm To Be Blamed For Repeated Miscarriage?

According to the new study, men’s faulty sperm could be a primary cause of repeated miscarriages, which have commonly attributed to health difficulties with pregnant women. When a repeated miscarriage happens, the focus is generally on the woman’s body and with the tests usually looking for immune system problems or infection. But a new study by scientists at Imperial College suggests that miscarriage could also be a result of male issues, even mainly if they not regularly tested. According to researchers, when a couple suffers repeated miscarriages, then the men should undergo tests because the health of the men’s sperm may sometimes be a reason for repeated miscarriage.

Dr. Channa Jayasena, the lead author of the research and an expert in reproductive endocrinology from Imperial’s Department of Medicine, said that "Traditionally doctors have focused attention on women when looking for the causes of recurrent miscarriage. The men's health, and the health of their sperm, wasn’t analyzed.”

"However, this research adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests sperm health dictates the health of a pregnancy,” Dr. Jayasena said in a university news publication. “For instance, previous research suggests sperm has an important role in the formation of the placenta, which is crucial for oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus," he added.”

Dr. Jayasena's study is the first research to evaluate the hormonal and metabolic health of sperm. In this study, scientists tested the sperm quality of 50 men whose wives had suffered repeated miscarriages and found their sperm had twice as much DNA damage as the sperm of men whose wives had not experienced any miscarriages.

The researchers suggest that DNA damage may stimulate by molecules called reactive oxygen species. These molecules are formed in semen to protect sperm from bacteria and infection. However, high concentrations of these molecules can bring noteworthy damage to sperm cells.

The study results revealed that when comparing with a control group, men whose partners had suffered repeated miscarriage had a four-fold increase in the number of reactive oxygen species. Dr. Jayasena says, “Although none of the men in the trial had any ongoing infection such as chlamydia which can affect sperm health, it is possible there may be other bacteria from previous infections lingering in the prostate gland, which makes semen. And this may lead to permanently high levels of reactive oxygen species."

The study results only found an association between miscarriages and sperm quality, not a reason and effect link.

Dr. Jayasena concluded, “Although this is a small study, it gives us clues to follow. If we confirm in further work that high levels of reactive oxygen species in semen increase the risk of miscarriage, we could try to improve treatments that lower these levels and increase the chance of a healthy pregnancy.”

The reason for repeated miscarriage doesn't lie solely with women, and it has taken a long period to understand sperm health has a role to play in miscarriage. Now we get a clear idea than both men and women contribute to repeated miscarriage. So, we get a clear picture of the problem, and we can start to look for ways of ensuring pregnancies result in a healthy baby. The best infertility hospitals, providing the best treatment and conducting seminars and health fitness programs for the parents.