Miscarriages Often the bad sperm quality of the man is to blame

Repeated miscarriages related to defective sperm

British scientists have found evidence that even the poor sperm quality of the man can be to blame for the fact that women have a miscarriage. The study team hopes that the new findings will help in finding treatments to reduce miscarriage risk.

Which increases the miscarriage risk

Miscarriage is always a traumatic event for women. To avoid them, it is important to know the possible causes and avoid them as much as possible. British researchers have now gained new insights that may increase the risk of miscarriage. In one study, they found that a poor sperm quality of the father can be responsible.

The sperm quality of men seems to influence the miscarriage risk of women. British researchers have now found out. (Image: Sebastian Kaulitzki / fotolia.com)

More DNA damage

Researchers at Imperial College London have studied the sperm quality of 50 men whose partners had sustained three or more consecutive miscarriages.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Chemistry, found that the sperm cells of these men had more DNA damage compared to those whose partners had not had a miscarriage.

Researchers now hope the new findings will help find ways to reduce the risk of miscarriage, according to a statement from Imperial College London.

Sperm health plays a role

According to the experts, until recently, recurrent miscarriages were caused by maternal health problems such as infections or immune problems.

But doctors have now recognized that sperm health can also play a role, study author Dr. Channa Jayasena.

"Traditionally, doctors have focused attention on women in the search for the causes of recurrent miscarriage. The health of men - and the health of their sperm - has not been analyzed, "said the scientist.

"However, this research adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that sperm health determines the health of a pregnancy," said Drs. Jayasena.

"Earlier research suggests, for example, that sperm plays an important role in the formation of the placenta, which is critical for the oxygen and nutrient delivery of the fetus."

Reactive oxygen species

In the current study, the team analyzed the sperm of 50 men who were patients in the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic of St. Mary's Hospital in London.

They then compared the results with the sperm health of 60 male volunteers whose partners had not miscarried.

The analysis found that sperm from men with partners who had recurrent miscarriages had twice as much DNA damage as the control group.

The research team points out that these DNA damage can be triggered by so-called reactive oxygen species.

According to the information, the concentration of these highly reactive molecules in the affected men was increased fourfold.

Bacteria in the prostate

Reactive oxygen species are formed, for example, in the defense of bacterial infections in the body's cells - but if they get out of hand, this can be harmful.

"At the time of the study, none of the study participants suffered from a bacterial infection, such as chlamydia, which we know can affect sperm quality," Dr. Jayasena.

"But earlier infections could have left germs in the prostate. This could lead to permanently high levels of reactive oxygen species. "

Heavy obesity impairs sperm quality

The study author added that there is growing evidence that adiposity affects sperm quality - possibly because high body fat levels can trigger an increase in reactive oxygen species.

In addition, it has been shown in previous studies that a high-fat diet of the father, too much cola and also marijuana harms the sperm.

Furthermore, the current study found that men whose partners had miscarriage were slightly older than those of the control group - with an average age of 37 years compared to 30 years. Besides, they were a bit heavier.

The team is now investigating whether these factors may have influenced the levels of reactive oxygen species.

Causes are not alone in the woman

"If we confirm in further work that high levels of reactive oxygen species in the semen increase the risk of miscarriage, we could try to develop treatments that reduce this concentration and increase the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy," Dr. Jayasena.

"It took a long time to realize that the health of sperm plays a role in miscarriage - and that the cause is not unique to women," said the researcher.

"Now we realize that both partners are contributing to recurrent miscarriages, and hopefully we can get a clearer picture of the problem and look for ways to ensure that more pregnancies lead to a healthy baby." (Ad)