Cytogenetics of recurrent abortions

G-banded chromosome complements were analysed from both partners of 150 couples who had had two or more spontaneous abortions. Two women and four men were found to be balanced translocation carriers, as follows: 46,XX,t(2;10), 46,XX,t(6;11), 46,XY,t(6;10), 45,XY,t(13;14), 45,XY,t(13;14), 45,XY,t(14;21). Another woman had an abnormal karotype 46,XX/47,XXX and a man had a pericentric inversion of chromosome 1; six other men and two women had pericentric inversions of chromosome 9.