2024-08-27 12:27:32
A US study shows that the father’s age can affect the child’s health. And this does not always go unnoticed for mothers either.
In a world where Mick Jagger, Robert De Niro and Peter Maffay become fathers at an advanced age, you might think that men have all the time in the world to father children. However, a recent study from the USA shows that the biological clock is ticking for men too – with serious consequences.
As part of a study, researchers collected data from over 46 million births between 2011 and 2022 in the United States. The result: The average age of fathers rose from 30.8 years in 2011 to 32.1 years in 2022. The proportion of births with fathers aged 50 or older increased slightly from 1.1 percent to 1.3 percent.
According to the study, the reasons for this late fatherhood are varied. Many men are less concerned about their “biological clock” and place more value on financial stability before starting a family.
The study also reveals that the advanced age of the father can have an impact on the baby’s health: the risk of premature birth increases with the father’s age. According to researchers, it is 16 percent higher for fathers between 50 and 59 years old than for fathers between 30 and 39 years old. For babies of fathers aged 70 and over, this risk is as high as 21 percent.
Another problem is low birth weight. Children of fathers between 50 and 59 years of age have a 14 percent higher risk of this. For fathers aged 70 and over, the risk is as high as 24 percent. In addition, the data shows that children of older fathers have an increased risk of seizures and breathing problems after birth.
But it’s not just the babies who are affected: the risks for expectant mothers also increase. Gestational diabetes is more common in women whose partners are between 50 and 59 years old – according to the study, the risk is a full 13 percent higher here.
According to the researchers, one reason for these complications could be the decreasing quality of sperm. “Age-related diseases such as erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism [Defizit in der Spermienproduktion, Anm. d. Red.] impair paternal fertility,” write the study authors. With increasing age, semen volume also decreases, as does sperm motility. This increases the risk of diseases such as autism, childhood cancer, achondroplasia (genetically caused dwarfism) and schizophrenia.
In summary, the study results show that not only the mother’s age has a decisive influence on the health of the child, but also that of the father. The researchers emphasize that there is a need for greater awareness of the risks of late fatherhood. The factors that drive this social change also need to be examined more closely.