Fatherhood and impact of quality of sperm on mom and baby

Sperm: impact on pregnancy and baby

By Roberta Hynes

I recently read a post on Reddit from a mom that was upset over the end of her marriage, where the reason for the breakdown had been her husband’s and in-laws’ displeasure at her giving birth to a daughter instead of a ‘male heir’. My initial thought was “this can’t be true, surely everyone understands that gender is down to the Dad and not the Mom?” Unfortunately not everyone has access to evidence based sexual education pertaining to the sperm’s role in conception and development, so this article addresses tips for the male/Dad to prepare pre-conception to optimise chances for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Sperm and the dad’s health can affect a number of things including pre-eclampsia, the placenta, mom’s morning sickness and premature birth. If you are family planning then it is important to be aware of the impact of the male/dad's health on pregnancy and the baby's health and risk factors.

Baby’s gender:

A baby's biological sex is determined by the two sex chromosomes in the egg and sperm.  Eggs always have an X chromosome, and sperm have either an X or a Y chromosome. Therefore males have both X and Y chromosomes, and which one is in the actual sperm cell that fertilizes the egg will determine the sex of the baby. Sperm penetrates and fertilizes the egg, creating either an XX (girl) or XY (boy) pair.

Studies have repeatedly found that one of the reliable predictors of the sex of the child is the age of the parent. As a man's sperm production declines, so does the proportion of Y chromosome-bearing sperm, therefore less boy babies. Older males are significantly more likely to have daughters than younger men. One study also linked "fresh" sperm (produced only a short time after a previous ejaculation) to the birth of more boys; in contrast "older" sperm was linked to more girls.

Fertility and sperm:

Fertility is most likely if the semen discharged in a single ejaculation contains at least 15 million sperm per millilitre. Too little sperm in an ejaculation might make it more difficult to get pregnant because there are fewer candidates available to fertilize the egg. Men who are obese have a higher chance of having decreased sperm count.

For men with normal sperm counts, studies find that semen volume and sperm count/concentration increase after two days of abstinence. However, sperm quality—the motility (movement) and morphology (shape) of sperm—decrease after two days of abstinence, with a significant impact seen after 7-10 days.

Unhealthy sperm will look abnormal under a microscope. The sperm cells might have irregular heads, double tails, or other deformities that affect their ability to swim or fertilize an egg. A man’s sperm can be weakened by things such as calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, anti-androgens and opioids. Anabolic steroids and other illicit drugs can have the same effect. Some medications can also contribute to fertility issues. Exposure to pesticides, lead and other toxins can also affect sperm quantity and quality.

Sperm and pregnancy:

Two of the most common pregnancy complications are pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, which have recently been connected to interactions between the maternal environment and paternal semen. These serious conditions can impact fetal and maternal health after birth.

Pre-eclampsia is a common condition that can occur during pregnancy, most typically during the postpartum period. It is defined by a sudden sharp rise in blood pressure; swelling to the face, hands and feet; and albuminuria – excess of the protein albumin that leaks into the urine.

If pre-eclampsia remains untreated, it can develop into eclampsia – a life-threatening condition that can cause convulsions, coma and even death. Pre-eclampsia can quickly develop into a life-threatening condition for both mother and baby. Often, the only option is to deliver the baby prematurely, which carries risks of its own.

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, the disorder is estimated to account for 76,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 infant deaths worldwide every year.

Pre-eclampsia has been hypothesized to be a maternal immunologic response to foreign fetal antigen derived from the father's sperm. Researchers have discovered how one genetic and one sexual risk factor can combine to increase the risk of pre-eclampsia, according to a study published in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology.

Results of the analysis revealed that women who had relatively limited exposure to the father’s semen prior to pregnancy, and who highly matched the class I group of HLA genes, had a 4.5 times higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia, compared with women who had higher exposure to the father’s semen and lower gene matching.

The findings suggest there could be new ways for couples to plan pregnancy with improved awareness of the disorder, as well as improved management of the risks. The study found that short duration of sexual relationship (≤6 months, ≤3 months, or first intercourse) was more common in women with pre-eclampsia compared with uncomplicated pregnancies Therefore repeated exposure to semen from the biological father of the desired baby may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia.

A separate study from Lund University in Sweden shows that high proportion of father's spermatozoa possessing DNA strand breaks is associated with doubled risk of pre-eclampsia in women who have become pregnant by IVF. It also increases the risk of the baby being born prematurely.

Potential methods for decreasing pre-eclampsia risk:

·      HLA testing could be helpful in advising couples about the best methods for decreasing their risk of preeclampsia.

·      For those with greater probability of maternal-fetal sharing of Class 1 HLA genes it is advised to decrease use of barrier contraception and increase vaginal sexual intercourse prior to conception in order to decrease risk.

Sperm and health of baby

A recent paper published in the journal The Lancet details how the health of men, before they even conceive a child, can have profound impacts on the health of their baby – such as birth weight and brain development.

The father’s genes are also important in the development of the placenta and whether the placenta’s nurtured well enough. As a result morning sickness has also been linked to men because men contribute to the build up of the placenta.

Sperm quality directly impacts the baby’s health. 50-60% of the baby’s epigenetic makeup is because of the dad. DNA fragmentation in sperm has been linked to miscarriages and developmental delays. The dad’s diet, lifestyle and stress levels (cortisol) influence not just the dad’s genetic material but also epigenetic tags, which are the biological switches that determine how genes are expressed in a child.

Studies show that fathers who smoke, eat poorly and have sedentary lifestyles pass on risks for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease to their children.

Things Dad-to-be can do:

·      Quit smoking and minimise alcohol consumption to limit changes to sperm morphology and sperm count.

·      Ensure inclusion of key nutrients in diet by taking supplements such as folate, as low folate in men is inked to poor sperm health.

·      Vitamin D for healthy sperm and good placental development.

·      Zinc to support sperm motility and testosterone levels

·      Omega 3 to improve sperm quality and reduce inflammation

·      De-stress to reduce cortisol levels, for example meditate, yoga, take walks. Chronic stress is bad for the sperm.

The last three to six months before a man attempts to conceive needs to be focused on improving or maintaining quality health.

Pre-conception care is needed before prenatal care

Rather than try to get pregnant with zero guidance, all people should get a pre-conception check-up and be taught about what they can do to promote lifelong health in themselves and their future children.