A study of 100,000 children born between 1980 and 1996 was done and it was found that the fatality rate is higher for children whose father is over 45 years of age. These children by older fathers died due to problems related to congenital defects, for example of the heart and spine as well as epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism. The study compared the deaths of children of older fathers to the children fathered by men aged between 25 and 30 years of age.
Sperm quality affected by ageing
Of the total children studied above, 830 have died even before the age of 18 and many of whom were below the age of one. Another research found that older fathers were more likely to father a child with Down’s syndrome that is four times higher. An explanation for this may be due to the genetic quality of sperm which deteriorates as the men gets older.
Throughout the years, most research is focused on the mother instead of the father. Most people are aware of the increased risks from having an older mother, for example higher rates of Down syndrome which is one in 100 by the age of 40. The risk of miscarriages also increases with the mother’s age. However, people should also be aware of the increased risk posed by older fathers. Scientist is still unable to determine the exact effect or impact on the quality of sperm due to the ageing process. Hence it is not possible to detect problems or defects before conception.
Lower IQ link to late fatherhood
An additional reason to have children earlier is related to a study that found that fathers who have children later have higher risk of having children with slightly lower IQs. Older fathers have been link to children that scored lower on various tests that cover speaking, arithmetic, reading, motor skills, etc. Researchers found that men’s testosterone levels start to decrease gradually at age 30. The recommended or ideal age for men to have children is in the 20s and early 30s.
photo credit: foundphotoslj
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