Older fathers share risk in offspring health

Modern medical research is amazing these days. The things we learn about the human body, health and fitness today makes us have to re-think all those givens we took for granted. This is especially true for men’s health.

One example is a recent finding about a man’s age and how that affects the health of his offspring. I for one believed, as do my friends, that a man can father a child well into his 90’s. That there was no time limit or negative associated with increasing age for a man and the risk of child defects and deteriorating health. It would seem this belief could be quite wrong.

As a man of 40 (ok 39 and 9 months) that has no children now, this caught my attention. Previously I believed that there was no time limit, other than the fact that I am growing too old for some women. I have always maintained the hope that one day I can have children, and that they would be healthy and strong.

But according to an article in the Daily Herald a man’s biological clock exists and is counting down. The clock works out like this:

• 20s: Men have the maximum amount of mature sperm cells and the least DNA damage. The risk of producing birth defects in offspring is as low as it ever will be.


• 30s: The mid-30s bring a significant increase in sperm DNA damage and thus an increased risk of producing birth defects. One in 99 fathers ages 30-35 sires a child with schizophrenia vs. one in 141 for fathers under age 25.


• 40s: The risk of schizophrenia doubles in children of fathers in their late 40s compared with children of fathers under age 25. Men 40 and older are nearly six times more likely to have offspring with autism than men younger than 30.


• 50s: The DNA cells that create sperm have gone through more than 800 rounds of division and replication, vastly increasing the chances of mutation and birth defects. The risk of schizophrenia almost triples for children of fathers 50 and older; one in 47 fathers sires a child with the condition.


• 60s: 85 percent of sperm is clinically abnormal.

Now research on this issue is still being done. There are no formal conclusions yet. But it is advised that

“If you're drinking or smoking, if you're working in toxic environments with pesticides, X-rays, solvents or ionizing radiation, these things affect you as well as women, and will ultimately affect the children you conceive.”

I had never really considered that. I’ve always had a mental image that said I can always have kids. That somehow my smoking never had an affect on ability to have children, and my age was irrelevant. But this new data gives me pause.

Now that does not mean I would not still want children. It does give me a further reason to be in better shape and without my nicotine addiction. Nothing is more motivating that the desire for offspring, as I’ve understood the nature of the world. Thus nothing is more motivation to be healthy than providing them the best start in life I can.

Just a thought. Something to think about.