Does Male Age Affect the Risk of Spontaneous Abortion? An Approach Using Semiparametric Regression

Abstract

Couples in industrialized countries tend to delay attempting to have children, which may lower their chances of livebirth. The authors assessed the association between male age and the risk of spontaneous abortion between weeks 5 and 20 of pregnancy, controlling for female age. They interviewed by telephone a random cross-sectional population of 1,151 French women who had been pregnant between 1985 and 2000 (participation rate, 73%). A total of 12.2% of the 2,414 pregnancies resulted in spontaneous abortion. Semiparametric regression was used to define a discrete time survival model with a random effect taking into account induced abortions, in which female age was coded by a third-degree polynomial. This final model predicted that the risk (rate ratio) of spontaneous abortion was 2.13-fold higher for women age 25 years whose partner was age 35 years or older than for women age 25 years whose partner was younger than age 35 years (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 4.26). No such increased risk of spontaneous abortion with male age was estimated when the woman was age 35 years (rate ratio = 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.35, 1.07). Thus, increasing male age could increase the risk of spontaneous abortion when the female partner is less than 30 years of age.

Aging of the Male Germline: Influence of Advanced Male Age on Reproductive Outcome

“…Similarly, Ford and peers analyzed risk factors for miscarriage in couples who achieved a recognized pregnancy, observing that the risk of miscarriage was higher in couples with males above 35 years old [58]. Similar results were found by several other authors that concluded that adverse pregnancy outcomes are related to APA, and reach a peak if both partners are of advanced age [59][60][61]. A casecontrol study by Kleinhaus and peers similarly verified a correlation between APA and miscarriage risk, independent of maternal age [64].…”

Paternal age and reproduction

“…Another retrospective analysis of 2414 pregnancies with a 12.2% rate of spontaneous miscarriage confirmed deleterious paternal age effects with a significant increase in risk for spontaneous miscarriage when men were older than 35 years (Slama et al, 2003). Unexpectedly this difference was only seen among couples in which the woman's age was ,30 years, which could be explained by the fact that maternal risk factors for spontaneous miscarriage might be better controlled by the adjustment for maternal age in younger than older women, in whom other factors, not adjustable by the maternal age, may mask the paternal age effect (Slama et al, 2005).…”

The effect of age on the expression of apoptosis biomarkers in human spermatozoa

“…Some studies have shown increased age-related numerical and structural sperm chromosomal abnormalities, changes in sperm DNA methylation, and a higher mutational load (6)(7)(8). Epidemiologic data suggest that increasing male age may be associated with pregnancy loss (9) and with a range of birth defects (10).…”