Father's age affects pregnancy

Father's age affects pregnancy

Miscarriage rates nearly double for potential dads over 45, study finds

Matthew Coutts, Canwest News Service

Published: Monday, July 07, 2008

TORONTO --
The age of the potential father -- not just the mother -- can seriously limit
the chances of having a baby later in life, according to a study released
today. While it has long been documented would-be mothers in their mid-30s or
older face reduced pregnancy rates and increased miscarriages, researchers say
this is the strongest proof to date that similar problems are caused by the age
of the would-be father in couples that face difficulty conceiving.

Researchers at France's
Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction monitored 21,239 cases of intrauterine
inseminations (IUI), an effective type of artificial insemination, in more than
12,000 couples between 2002 and 2006.

They found maternal age was closely associated with a
decrease in the pregnancy rate -- 8.9 per cent in women over 35 years, compared
with 14.5 per cent in younger women -- as well as a higher miscarriage rate.

"But we also demonstrated that the age of the father was important in
the rate of pregnancy, with a negative effect for men over 40," said
Stephanie Belloc, lead author of the study.

"And even more surprising, the proportion of miscarriages went up as
well," she added.

The study, to be presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and
Embryology conference in Barcelona, showed paternal age led to decreases in the
pregnancy rate, from 12.3 per cent with fathers 30 years of age or younger, to
9.3 per cent in fathers older than 45 years of age. The rate of miscarriage
more than doubled over the same periods, from 13.7 per cent to 32.4 per cent.

In most cases the couples were being treated at the clinic because the
husband had infertility issues, but researchers say the findings relate to men
without such problems. "There is no doubt that we can extrapolate from the
study to men in general," said co-author Yves Menezo, also a researcher at
the Eylau Centre.

In IUI, the sperm is "washed" in order to separate it from the
seminal fluid and then inserted directly into the uterus. The goal is to
increase the chances of fertilization and remove any chemicals in the semen
that may cause discomfort for the woman.

Belloc said sperm with DNA damage, common in older men, was still able to
enter the egg during IUI, but the weakened sperm could result in failure to
conceive. While previous reports show a decline in sperm count and quality in
older men, this is the first clinical proof that a man's age has a direct
affect on fertility.

© The Vancouver
Sun 2008