Health risk for babies of older dads
BABIES fathered by older men are more likely to suffer health problems at birth, research revealed yesterday.
Sir Mick Jagger, fellow Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and George Clooney are among many celebrities who have fathered children well into their 50s. Sir Rod Stewart, 73, became a father for the eighth time, at 66, to son Aiden, now seven.
But a study has found that as the age of the father increased, so did the risk of the baby being born prematurely, having a low birth weight and needing healthcare support after delivery.
Stanford University studied more than 40 million US live births between 2007 and 2016.
It is said to be the most comprehensive study of the relationship between a father’s age and birth outcomes at a population level.
Researchers found children of fathers aged 45 and over were born, on average, a day earlier and were 14 per cent more likely to be premature, compared with those whose fathers were aged 25 to 34.
Children of older fathers were also born three quarters of an ounce lighter and had a 14 per cent greater risk of a low birth weight. The study’s senior author, Dr Michael Eisenberg, said: “A significant number of negative birth outcomes were estimated to be preventable if older fathers had elected to have children before 45.
“We tend to look at maternal factors in evaluating associated birth risks, but this study shows that having a healthy baby is a team sport and the father’s age contributes to the baby’s health too.”
Understanding
Babies of fathers aged 45-plus also had a 14 per cent greater chance of being admitted to intensive care and were 18 per cent more likely to suffer seizures, compared with babies of fathers aged 25 to 34.
The risk of gestational diabetes for women also increased in line with the age of the father. Women carrying the child of a man aged 55 or older had a 34 per cent higher chance of developing the condition.
Researchers suggest the differences could be a result of changes in the sperm of older men. But Dr Eisenberg
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said older men did not need to alter their life plans drastically, comparing increased risks to lottery tickets.
He said: “If you buy two lottery tickets instead of one, your chances of winning double, so they have increased by 100 per cent.
“But that’s relative. Because your chance of winning the lottery started very small, it’s still unlikely you’re going to win the lottery.
“This is a very extreme example, but the same concept can be applied to how you think about birth risks.”
Dr Eisenberg said the risks associated with fathers’ ages should be included in family planning and reproductive counselling discussions.
He said: “Having a better understanding of the father’s biological role will be obviously important for the offspring, but also potentially for the mother.”