(Robert Preidt/ HealthDay News) — When couples experience recurrent pregnancy loss, it’s natural for them to want to know why. Now, a new study suggests that sperm DNA damage could be a factor.
Recurrent pregnancy loss is defined as the consecutive loss of three or more pregnancies before 20 weeks’ gestation. It affects up to 2 percent of couples and, in many cases, it is difficult to identify the cause.
While women in these couples typically undergo tests to pinpoint a cause, the same is not true of men, according to the study authors.
“However, we know that sperm play an important role in the formation of the placenta, which is critical for survival of an unborn baby,” said lead researcher Dr. Channa Jayasena. He is a clinical senior lecturer in endocrinology at Imperial College London, in the United Kingdom. (…)