Male fertility is a complex issue, especially when coupled with IVF procedures. Beyond standard sperm analysis (count, shape and motility), analyzing the integrity of the DNA insider the sperm cells – using the DNA Fragmentation Index, or DFI, is a topic that I’m seeing more and more in research and practice, including in these past posts about recurrent pregnancy loss and IUI outcomes.
A new 2024 study from China’s Shangqiu Hospital has looked specifically at DFI in IVF cases where intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is used to manually insert a sperm into a follicle, when shape/morphology and motility are poor. ICSI is often thought to be a go-around for poor sperm parameters.
For reference, a DFI <15% is considered normal, while 15-30% is considered average, and DFI >30% is considered poor integrity.
The researchers looked at whether DFI plays a role in the long-term outcomes of over 6000 IVF/ICSI procedures – and found that, while fertilization rates were unaffected by poor DFI (with ICSI, egg and sperm are able to meet and fertilize), there was a significantly higher miscarriage rate when DFI was poor and average (15-30%), compared to normal (<15%). Secondly, they found that infant birth weights were significantly lower for cases where DFI was poor and average (>15%), compared to DFI normal (DFI <15%).
In short, the study concluded that sperm DFI had an impact on both miscarriage rates and birth weights in IVF/ICSI pregnancies.
Moreover, the research demonstrates that “average” DFI (15-30%) still merits evaluation and treatment focus, which would include removing oxidative stressors that damage sperm DNA, as well as providing anti-oxidative support – both of which I discuss in my fertility course.
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information for your fertility or pregnancy journey, visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.com for free webinars and complete programs.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your fertility or pregnancy patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com, or visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.com/ce-courses-for-naturopathic-doctors.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
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References:
Li, F. et al. (2024).Sperm DNA fragmentation index affect pregnancy outcomes and offspring safety in assisted reproductive technology. Scientific Reports, 356 (2024).