Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Repeated miscarriages, that is 3 pregnancy losses in a row each before 20 weeks of gestation, are usually thought to be due to maternal factors including uterine defects, infection, hormonal imbalances, and autoimmune disease.  A study from Imperial College, London, now suggests that flawed sperm may also play a key role in some miscarriages.   After analyzing the sperm of 50 men whose partners experienced recurrent miscarriages and compared them with sperm from 60 males whose partners had delivered successfully, the investigators found twice the incidence of DNA damage in the recurrent miscarriage group.  The damage may be done by an excess of reactive oxygen species that, in normal quantities, protect sperm from bacterial infection.   Isolated miscarriage occurs in about 15% of pregnancies, but recurrent miscarriage happens in only 1-2% of pregnancies.  If you are experiencing recurrent miscarriages, be certain that both you and your partner are studied. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/oJszVtWkY-E #Recurrentmisca