Overview
- The study analyzed 1,712 first donor egg IVF cycles conducted from 2019 to 2023 at six centers in Italy and Spain to isolate the impact of male partner age.
- Couples with male partners over 45 experienced a 23.8% miscarriage rate, compared with 16.3% among those with younger partners.
- Live birth rates dropped to 35.1% for fathers older than 45 versus 41% for men 45 and under.
- Researchers attribute these outcomes to age-related sperm changes, including DNA fragmentation, chromosomal abnormalities and epigenetic alterations that can impair embryo development.
- Presented this week at the ESHRE Annual Meeting and published in Human Reproduction, the findings prompt recommendations that fertility clinics update counseling to include male age considerations.