"First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare," Mr Akin told a local television channel. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
"But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. You know I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."
Mr Akin's comments may damages his chances of defeating the incumbent Democrat senator Claire McCaskill, who is a vulnerable target for Republicans in November's elections.
Mrs McCaskill seized on the remarks, tweeting: "As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases, I'm stunned by Rep Akin's comments about victims this AM."
In the face of a widespread backlash on the internet, Mr Akin hastily released a statement claiming that he had "misspoke".
"In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year," he said.
Democrats have repeatedly attacked Republicans this year on women's issues, claiming that Mitt Romney and his congressional allies are waging a "war on women" by seeking to curb abortion rights.
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