Older fathers-to-be increase S’pore women’s risk of miscarriage

Having babies with men who are above 40 years old increases the risk of miscarriage for women by as much as eight times, according to a study of pregnant women in Singapore.

In addition, pregnant women above 34 years old also had twice the risk of miscarriage.

The joint study by KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and Duke-NUS
Graduate Medical School followed 139 women with threatened miscarriage -- those with vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy -- for 16 weeks.

The study was conducted to assess the demographic and socioeconomic factors that may increase the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy.

One of the principal investigators, Dr Tan Thiam Chye said: "Having noted an increased risk of fetal losses with a paternal age greater than 40, we can infer that the biological clock ticks not only in the woman, but also in the father-to-be.

Other results from the study also showed that women with a history of miscarriage, and those with low progesterone levels were also noted to be at higher risk of miscarriage.

Threatened miscarriage affects up to 20 percent of all pregnancies. In the study, it was found that one in four women who experienced early pregnancy bleeding had a complete miscarriage.

Dr Tan, also an assistant professor at Duke-NUS, said that the study provided valuable insights into the risk factors of miscarriage among Singaporean women.

While the study provides an excellent starting point in 'obstetiary' management in Singapore, there remains a need for more research to confirm the preliminary results, he said.