We are now an official testing hub for Sperm DNA Fragmentation Examen Tests.

This one is close to my heart…

During the 80s and 90s Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital was the home of (what would later be dubbed) ‘The Bristol Baby Heart Scandal’. Over 170 babies born with congenital heart defects died at the knives of surgeons who would have otherwise been saved at other NHS hospitals. It was a scandal so alarming that a film was produced in 2000 called Innocents, praised for its accurate depiction of a mother being told, somewhat unapologetically, that their baby had died while the child’s heart sat before them in a specimen jar on the consultant’s desk.

Picture taken at the memorial site in a woodland located in Wiltshire.

I was one of those babies. One of the few to have survived surgery to repair a ‘leaky heart valve’ or patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) at the age of 11 months. My parents were told that my chance of survival was 50/50. Little did they know the survival rate of babies operated on at the BRI at that time was actually much lower and of the children that did survive, most died later due to complications or were severely brain damaged.

PDA is a congenital heart defect (CHD). CHDs affect approximately 1 in 100 babies born in the UK. 

Sperm DNA Fragmentation has been linked as one of the primary causes of congenital heart defects in infants. Alongside maternal diseases such as lupus, and poorly controlled diabetes. Maternal smoking can also be a risk factor. 

The concept of sperm dna fragmentation was understood in the 1980s and the first dna fragmentation tests were being born. And yet, here we are in 2025 and most fertility consultants aren’t even talking about it.

Wouldn’t you be happier planning a pregnancy knowing that you’d done all you could to ensure your child would be healthy? That is why we advocate for sperm dna fragmentation testing in our clinics and why scientists in the know advocate them as the “gold standard” for sperm testing. 

Not only does having low fragmentation reduce the risk of miscarriage it also reduces the risk of Down’s syndrome, autism and childhood cancers. 

And here’s the thing… for the most part DNA damage is easy to fix. In a matter of a few months of targeted supplementation, lifestyle advice and acupuncture* a person’s DNA integrity can be greatly improved upon. 

So, for babies born nowadays with congenital heart defects the prognosis is generally good. But for the sake of a simple test and some forward planning you can save yourselves the heartache of your tiny baby going under the surgeon’s knife. 

Contact us if you would like to know more about our testing hub or wish to take advantage of this test. 

*Acupuncture has been shown to reduce scrotal temperature, which is a primary cause of sperm dna fragmentation. (Siterman et al, 2009)