Swallowing semen could reduce the chance of recurrent miscarriages, a new study has claimed.

The research found that there was a link between those who performed oral sex on their partners less often and their rate of miscarriages. Scientists believe this is due to semen's ability to boost the immune system and enable the foetus to grow more healthily. Vaginal contact with semen (unprotected sex) is also believed to play a part in the boosting of the immune system, however ingesting semen could be more beneficial for couples experiencing multiple miscarriages. Conducted by the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, the study examined the oral sex habits and pregnancy history of 234 women. 97 of the participants had experience of recurrent miscarriage - a common condition that involves a person miscarrying a pregnancy three or more times in a row. Recurrent miscarriage is thought to affect approximately one in 100 women in the UK. The reason behind the condition is largely unknown. Due to small number of participants, however, this does not mean that ingesting semen will lower a person's chance of recurrent miscarriage. Rather, researchers have said that there is a link between the two, and that further studies will be needed. The study showed that the women who had experience of recurrent miscarriage were less likely to engage in oral sex. 73 percent of women in the non-miscarriage group regularly engaged in oral sex while 57 percent of those in the miscarriage group did. This disparity, however, is not considerable enough to allow for a definite link between ingesting semen and the conception of a healthy baby.