Older men linked to miscarriages

Women who become pregnant by an older man have an increased risk of miscarriage, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the Columbia University school of public health in New York studied 14,000 women from Jerusalem who were pregnant in the 1960s and 1970s.

They found that the risk of miscarriage was 60 per cent higher when the father was aged 40 or over than when he was aged between 25 and 29 years old.

“As child-bearing is increasingly delayed in Western societies, this study provides important information for people who are planning their families,” said lead researcher Dr Karine Kleinhaus.

Even men in their 30s were found to increase the chance of miscarriage, as the risk was three times higher for males aged between 35 and 39 than those under 25 years of age.

These risks were high even when other factors which contribute to miscarriage were taken into account, such as the mother’s age and smoking during pregnancy, the researchers report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Suggesting that women are not the only ones with a biological clock, other studies have found that although men continually produce new sperm, fertility gradually declines in later years.

Miscarriages, especially those in the first three months, often occur because of genetic abnormalities and bodily problems.

Roughly one in eight confirmed pregnancies miscarries, usually before 12 weeks. Most women who miscarry go on to have a normal, healthy pregnancy.

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