Kids Born To Old Fathers More Likely To Die Early

Kids Born To Old Fathers More Likely To Die Early
Posted June 4th, 2008 by Piyush Diwan
Featured
Health Update
Europe
A new study carried out by European researchers revealed that becoming a father after the age of 45 increases the mortality risk of the child due to the declining sperm quality as men age.
The researchers said that children of older fathers were twice as likely to die before they entered adulthood as compared to kids born to younger fathers.
The researchers added that the children of older fathers are more likely to suffer from particular inborn deficiencies despite autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy.
Lead researcher Jin Liang Zhu of Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, stated, “The risks of older fatherhood can be very profound, and it is not something that people are always aware of.”
The researchers analyzed 100,000 kids born between 1980 and 1996. Until now around 830 of kids have died before 13 years.
Most of the deaths of the children of the older fathers were due to congenital defects like problems of the heart and spine that increases the risk of infant mortality.
The study was published in the European Journal of ‘Epidemiology.’
Consumers must be cognizant that the mother's age has always been linked with problems like Down's syndrome. The above study provides proof that a father's age may also have a say in child’s lifespan.