Babies Born to Older Dads May Have a Higher Risk of Health Problems, Study Says

Women are constantly reminded of their ticking biological clocks and the risks that come with having children later in life — both in terms of maternal and infant health, and the ability to conceive a baby in the first place. But for the most part, men don’t get the same warnings. A new study published Wednesday in the BMJ suggests that men, too, may have biological clocks worth heeding. Babies born to older fathers, the paper says, may be more susceptible to health problems including preterm birth, low birth weight and breathing problems. And women who have children with older men may have increased health risks, too — particularly gestational diabetes. “From an evolutionary standpoint, we’re used to reproducing in the late teens, early twenties,” says study co-author Dr. Michael Eisenberg, director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. “Anything beyond that may have some potential biologic risk associated with it.” Despite our evolutionary roots, American women are increasingly having babies later in life, in part because many are pursuing careers and education before starting families. Paternal age seems to be following the same pattern. Between 1972 and 2015, the average age of fatherhood rose from 27.4 to 30.9 years old, and the percentage of fathers over 40 rose to about 9%, a 2017 study found. Much has been made of the health issues associated with “geriatric pregnancies,&...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime Research Source Type: news