The paternal role in pregnancy loss.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or meta-analytic data synthesis reported.
PubMed 38334037 · doi:10.1111/andr.13603
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on the male partner's contribution to pregnancy loss. The authors examined specific paternal determinants, including advanced paternal age, general and metabolic health (specifically metabolic syndrome), chromosomal abnormalities (such as balanced translocations and Y chromosome microdeletions), and sperm quality markers including sperm DNA fragmentation and protein abnormalities.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or risk estimates. Qualitatively, it notes that advanced paternal age is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss, paternal metabolic syndrome contributes to pregnancy loss risk, male chromosomal abnormalities and Y chromosome microdeletions correlate with risk, and elevated sperm DNA fragmentation and sperm protein abnormalities associate with spontaneous pregnancy loss.
Why it matters
It highlights that recurrent and spontaneous pregnancy loss evaluations should not be restricted to maternal factors, advocating for clinical protocols that routinely assess paternal metabolic, genetic, and sperm health parameters.
Limits
The abstract outlines a narrative review rather than a systematic review with meta-analysis, omitting search methodology, study inclusion criteria, risk-of-bias grading, and quantitative effect sizes. Observational associations summarized may be subject to residual confounding from maternal age and shared environmental factors.
Cited by
- supports A father's metabolic health before pregnancy influences pregnancy complications for the woman, such as miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, and preeclampsia.