Recurrent miscarriages and the link with poor sperm quality

research published in the journal Clinical Chemistry , in January this year, suggests that the quality of sperm (semen) can be directly linked the repeat abortion causes.

According to British researchers at Imperial College London , the study contributes to a series of other studies that suggest that aspects of man’s reproductive health may determine the progress of pregnancy.

The investigation involved the participation of 50 couples, whose women suffered three or more spontaneous abortions (before 20 weeks of gestation). Then, the quality of each man’s semen was compared to that of 60 volunteers whose partners had not had an abortion.

The result questions what most other research focuses on – the causes of recurrent abortion are usually assessed from the female aspect, relating the problem to infections or other conditions of the woman.

But, in the results of this new research, it was seen that the semen of men whose partner has a history of miscarriage had four times more damage to the DNA than those in which the woman did not suffer termination of pregnancy.

The suspicion is that this damage may have been caused by so-called reactive oxygen species, which are molecules that protect sperm from bacteria and infections. However, when found in large concentrations, they can cause significant damage to the semen.

The question now among scientists is about what can cause the increase in these molecules. This can be a starting point for new treatments.

Read more: What is a spermogram, what is it for, how is it done and results

Understand what is repeated abortion

Repeated abortion is when three or more pregnancies occur in a row.

It is a common problem in cases of pregnancy in women over 35 years. This is because the possibility of malformations and fetal anomalies increases after this age, which can lead to spontaneous abortion.

Much of the gestational losses occur due to errors in cell division, that is, the chromosomes end up not separating properly at the time of fertilization.

Symptoms usually begin with mild or moderate bleeding, which may be accompanied by abdominal pain (such as cramps) and kidney pain .

This can happen even before a woman knows she is pregnant, creating a risk of serious infections if the problem is not treated properly.

The recommendation is that all women should go frequently to the gynecologist, making it possible to verify the pregnancy and, in cases of pregnancy, to clarify doubts about the health status of the fetus.


Spontaneous abortion is a relatively common problem. Of every five pregnant women, one pregnancy does not progress. But recurrent cases must be evaluated, as the causes can have different origins, related to the health of both women and men.

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