Author: Professor Sun Zixue, Director of the Reproductive and Andrology Diagnosis and Treatment Center (Department of Reproductive Medicine) at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Although fetal停育 occurs in women, the cause may not necessarily lie with the female, as the quality of the embryo primarily depends on the quality of the sperm and egg. For men, normal results in conventional ** analysis do not entirely indicate that there are no issues with sperm “quality,” and they certainly do not completely rule out male factors.
Male ** analysis is the most basic assessment of male fertility; the better the quality, the greater the chance of pregnancy. However, normal ** analysis does not imply that it is unrelated to fetal停育. The male factors contributing to fetal停育 are often overlooked; in recent years, with the advancement of andrology, more in-depth studies have been conducted on male factors in fetal停育. It is generally believed that the male reasons for fetal停育 mainly encompass the following three aspects.
1. Genetic factors: Embryonic developmental abnormalities caused by chromosomal number or structural anomalies are common causes of fetal停育. Studies show that the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in early fetal停育 can reach 60%-70% (chromosomal abnormalities account for 50%-60% of miscarried fetuses, and approximately 10% of cases involve chromosomal abnormalities in one or both partners).
2. Infectious factors: Clinical observations indicate that male bacterial infections account for about 10%-15%. In asymptomatic infections of the male reproductive tract, there may be a significant presence of bacteria, viruses, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma urealyticum, etc. These infections can weaken the reproductive capacity of the pregnant woman, leading to embryo miscarriage.
3. Increased sperm DNA fragmentation rate: Sperm DNA fragmentation testing detects the chromosomal carriers of genetic information in human sperm. When human sperm combines with an egg to form a fertilized egg, sperm transmits its genetic information to the offspring, ensuring proper embryo development. Therefore, chromosomal abnormalities in sperm or immature sperm nuclei can lead to abnormal embryo development or termination, potentially serving as significant factors contributing to female miscarriage. Sperm DNA fragmentation testing is one of the methods used to evaluate sperm nuclear function.
