The chances of conception are reduced and the risk of miscarriage increases when the father is aged over 35, new research has shown.

Speaking at the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today, Dr Stephanie Belloc of the Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction in Paris will explain the findings which indicate for the first time a strong association between paternal age and reproductive outcomes.

The study reiterated previous research regarding the effect of maternal age on pregnancy, stating that it could be closely linked to an 8.9 per cent decrease in pregnancy rate in women over 35, compared to 14.5 per cent in younger women.

"But we also found that that the age of the father was important in pregnancy rates – men over 35 had a negative effect," Dr Belloc observed. "And, perhaps more surprisingly, miscarriage rates increased where the father was over 35."

She added: "How DNA damage in older men translates into clinical practice has not been shown up to now. Our research proves for the first time that there is a strong paternal age-related effect on IUI outcomes, and this information should be considered by both doctors and patients in assisted reproduction programmes."

Statistics show that birth rates across Europe continue to fall as more and more couples delay starting a family.

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