Men’s Health Habits also affect Conception, Study Says

Rebecca Lewis April 01, 2016

Couples who wish to get pregnant should work together to have a successful and healthy conception. It is not just the woman’s health habits that matter but also that of her partner.

According to the latest study by the National Institutes of Health, male partners who drink two caffeinated beverages per day is linked to 74 per cent risk of miscarriage.

The new findings suggest that male’s health habits matter too when it comes to pregnancy. The said risk was almost the same with that of caffeine consumption among females, wherein caffeine is linked to 74% risk of miscarriage. In a previous research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, consuming more than 200 milligram of caffeine was also associated with miscarriage. Researchers don’t know the exact reason for this link but they suspect that caffeine crosses the placenta and can affect developing cells.

The study involved 501 couples who were trying to conceive. They were asked to keep a journal of their daily lifestyles and behaviours. This included smoking, alcohol drinking and caffeine consumption. Researchers continued tracking the participants’ health habits for a year, until childbirth or miscarriage.

In addition to these findings, the study also discovered that women who took multivitamins before and during early pregnancy were less likely to have a miscarriage. The researchers believe it is because of folate and vitamin B6 which have been previously shown to reduce risk of miscarriage.

However, they note that drinking decaffeinated beverages does not mean a safer pregnancy as their study didn’t include information about it. They advise couples who wish to get pregnant to limit their caffeine intake to lower than three servings per day and continue taking their multivitamins as advised by their GPs.

Other Risk Factors for Miscarriage

Excess alcohol, drug use and smoking are among the major factors affecting conception. And this holds true in men as well. Studies suggest that these unhealthy behaviours affect sperm quality, leading to poor pregnancy.

Stress is also to blame. Not only does stress causes hormonal imbalance, it also induces women to engage in unhealthy behaviours particularly drinking and smoking.

Sources of these article:

For Couples Who Want To Get Pregnant, Men’s Habits Matter, Too

Miscarriage - Causes, NHS