M:F ratio is reduced with increasing paternal age consistent with de novo genetic or genomic anomalies arising more frequently as men age

Autism Dev Disord. 2009 May 19. [Epub ahead of print] Links
Brief Report: Parental Age and the Sex Ratio in Autism.Anello A, Reichenberg A, Luo X, Schmeidler J, Hollander E, Smith CJ, Puleo CM, Kryzak LA, Silverman JM.
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.

The male-to-female (M:F) ratio for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), typically about 4:1, appears to decrease with increasing paternal age, but this relationship has not been systematically tested. With 393 ASD cases from families with two or more ASD cases, we categorized paternal age into five age groups (<30, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45+) and found that the M:F ratio was significantly decreased with increasing paternal age groups and remained so after also adjusting for maternal age. No significant relationship between maternal age group and the M:F ratio was observed. This study suggests that the M:F ratio is reduced with increasing paternal age consistent with de novo genetic or genomic anomalies arising more frequently as men age and then conceive children.

PMID: 19452267 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

According to Miller, the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring of fathers older than 30 is a significant public health concern

According to Miller, the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring of fathers older than 30 is a significant public health concern, because average paternal ages are increasing
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May 18, 2009

APA 2009
Schizophrenia Risk May Be Higher in Male Offspring of Young Fathers
Myra Partridge


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For almost 10 years, studies have shown that advanced paternal age may be a risk factor for schizophrenia in offspring. However, the risk of schizophrenia may also be higher in male offspring of fathers who are younger than 25 years, according to the results of a study presented at the 2009 American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.

“An increased risk associated with younger fathers raises the possibility of different causal mechanisms for schizophrenia between this group and for offspring of older fathers,” said Brian Miller,1 lead study author and a fellow in the department of psychiatry at the Medical College of Georgia in Atlanta.

Miller and colleagues from universities in Finland and London conducted a meta-analysis of both published and unpublished data on paternal age and schizophrenia in offspring. “We performed a meta-analysis in order to better estimate the effect size of this association, considering the effects of gender and study design,” said Miller.

Incidence of schizophrenia was lowest in offspring of fathers aged 25 to 30 years. Compared with this group, the population attributable risk was found to be 10% higher for paternal age of 30 years or older and 4% higher for paternal age younger than 25 years.

Results confirmed that there is a significantly higher increase in risk of schizophrenia in the offspring of fathers older than 30 years, and there was no evidence of sexual dimorphism. According to Miller, the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring of fathers older than 30 is a significant public health concern, because average paternal ages are increasing.


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Reference
1. Miller BJ, Messias E, Miettunen J, et al. Meta-analysis of paternal age and schizophrenia risk in the offspring [NR3-023]. Poster presented May 18, 2009.

Paternal Age May Also Affect ICSI Outcome in Oligozoospermic Patients

Paternal Age May Also Affect ICSI Outcome in Oligozoospermic Patients
May 15, 2009
Maternal age has been identified as a key determining factor in the success rates of IVF/ICSI procedures; however, relatively few studies have investigated the effect of advanced paternal age on ICSI outcome. Now, a recent retrospective observational study, published in the journal, Fertility and Sterility, suggests the negative effect of increased paternal age of oligozoospermic patients on implantation rate after ICSI. The study reports a 5% decrease in the chances of pregnancy for such couples with each year of increase in paternal age.

Negative influence of paternal age on clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle outcomes in oligozoospermic patients.

1: Fertil Steril. 2009 Apr 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Negative influence of paternal age on clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle outcomes in oligozoospermic patients.


Ferreira RC, Braga DP, Bonetti TC, Pasqualotto FF, Iaconelli A Jr, Borges E Jr.
Sapientiae Institute, Educational and Research Center in Assisted Reproduction, São Paulo, Brazil; Fertility, Assisted Fertilization Center, São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of male age on clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, according to sperm concentration. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Assisted reproduction center. PATIENT(S): The study included 1,024 couples undergoing ICSI cycles with fresh spermatozoa. INTERVENTION(S): The influence of paternal age on ICSI outcomes of oligozoospermic and normozoospermic patients was evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Rates of high-quality embryos, pregnancy, implantation, and miscarriage were evaluated through linear logistic regression analyses. RESULT(S): When the sperm concentration was abnormal, paternal age influenced implantation (regression coefficient value = -0.7009) and pregnancy rates (odds ratio = 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.91-0.99). However, in normozoospermic patients, no influence of paternal age was observed on implantation (regression coefficient value = 0.0566) or pregnancy rates (odds ratio = 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.03). CONCLUSION(S): For couples in which the men are oligozoospermic, the implantation rate could be impaired by increased paternal age. In these couples, the chance of pregnancy decreased 5% for each year of paternal age. When men are normozoospermic, this effect is not observed

Men’s Biological Clocks. Will the Risks of Fathering a Baby After Age 35 Start A New Dating Trend?

MAy 4

Men’s Biological Clocks. Will the Risks of Fathering a Baby After Age 35 Start A New Dating Trend?

Posted by admin in POW WOW SHOW Topic, Your Guide To Healthy Relationships Today’s 50 may be yesterday’s 30 in some aspects of men’s aging, but medical studies reveal this isn’t true for a 50 year old’s sperm. Men are learning about about the genetic risks of fathering a baby after age 35. Will their newly-found biological clocks start a new dating trend?

What is a biological clock?

It commonly refers to the declining fertility, increasing risk for fetal birth defects, and altered hormone levels experienced by women as they age. Abundant scientific evidence now suggests that men also have a biological clock.

What are some risks of fathering a child after age 40?

A team of UK and US researchers recently reported that children born to men over 40 had a six times higher risk of autism than those born to men under 30.

Other studies have linked older fathers to an increased risk of miscarriages, and to children with bipolar disorder and the rare birth disorders like dwarfism.

Researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons found that men older than 40 were more than twice as likely to have a child who develops schizophrenia as men in their 20’s.

Why is older fatherhood a new cause for concern?

The theory linking paternal age with an offspring’s health rests on spontaneous mutations in the genes of a man’s sperm cells as he ages. New studies refute the earlier theory that men could father children into their old age with no ill effects.

What is the ideal age for men to father children?

To minimize genetic abnormalities, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has set an upper age limit of 40 years old for semen donors, while UK fertility clinics only accept sperm donations from men aged 39 and under.

Studies suggest that to minimize the risk of autism, the paternal age should be under 32.

Could a man’s biological clock start a new dating trend?

A young man’s biological clock may encourage him seek a serious relationship with a young woman who is ready and willing to have children before he reaches the age of 35 or 40. These young men will have fewer years to date cougars.

A young woman who desires children may be less likely to date a father figure, unless he agrees to use a sperm donor if they decide to have children after his 50th birthday. Or she may simply prefer to date men under age 35 to increase the odds of having healthy babies with a mate closer to her age.

If more men and women over 40 spend less time dating younger, will they find unexpected delights in dating each other? Let us know if you notice these new trends in your dating life.

Dedicated to your relationship happiness,

Hadley