I just read about this disturbing and surprising new scientific finding of high relevance to the readers of this forum.
Please see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10663832/Children-of-older-fathers-at-risk-of-low-IQ-autism-and-suicide.html
From the article:
Women have traditionally been warned that they should not delay motherhood but because there is no male menopause, men have tended to believe that it is safe to father children in older age.
However when researchers at Indiana University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden looked at the outcomes of more than two million children born between 1973 and 2001, they discovered worrying trends.
Children born to a 45-year-old man were 13 times more likely to have ADHD than those born to a 24-year-old man and were 3.5 times more likely to have autism and 25 times more likely to have bipolar disorder.
Women are born with all their eggs, but male sperm is constantly replicating. Each time sperm replicates there is a chance for a mutation in the DNA to occur. As men age, they are also exposed to numerous environmental toxins which have been shown to cause DNA mutations in sperm.
Molecular genetic studies have shown that the sperm of older men have far more mutations than those of younger men.
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said men should have children as young as possible.
“This is the biggest and most comprehensive study of its kind and it really highlights that there is a time limit for dads on when they should have their children.
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said men should have children as young as possible.
“I think the changes start to take place when a man gets to 40, you start to notice detectable differences in his offspring."
End quote.
The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Is this also news to you?
Does your experience confirm any if this?
Please share your thoughts.
Please see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10663832/Children-of-older-fathers-at-risk-of-low-IQ-autism-and-suicide.html
From the article:
Women have traditionally been warned that they should not delay motherhood but because there is no male menopause, men have tended to believe that it is safe to father children in older age.
However when researchers at Indiana University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden looked at the outcomes of more than two million children born between 1973 and 2001, they discovered worrying trends.
Children born to a 45-year-old man were 13 times more likely to have ADHD than those born to a 24-year-old man and were 3.5 times more likely to have autism and 25 times more likely to have bipolar disorder.
Women are born with all their eggs, but male sperm is constantly replicating. Each time sperm replicates there is a chance for a mutation in the DNA to occur. As men age, they are also exposed to numerous environmental toxins which have been shown to cause DNA mutations in sperm.
Molecular genetic studies have shown that the sperm of older men have far more mutations than those of younger men.
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said men should have children as young as possible.
“This is the biggest and most comprehensive study of its kind and it really highlights that there is a time limit for dads on when they should have their children.
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said men should have children as young as possible.
“I think the changes start to take place when a man gets to 40, you start to notice detectable differences in his offspring."
End quote.
The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Is this also news to you?
Does your experience confirm any if this?
Please share your thoughts.