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Paternal age and preterm birth in Italy, 1990 to 1998

Paola Astolfi1, Antonio De Pasquale, Laura Attinia Zonta

  • 1Department of Genetics and Microbiology, A. Buzzati-Traverso, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. astolfi@ipvgen.unipv.it

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|February 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Advanced paternal age increases the risk of preterm birth, especially very preterm births. This large study confirms paternal age as a significant factor in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Perinatal Epidemiology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • Advanced paternal age is a growing concern in reproductive health.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between paternal age and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
  • The impact of paternal age on preterm birth requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between advanced paternal age and preterm birth.
  • To quantify the risk of overall, very, and moderate preterm births related to paternal age.
  • To analyze a large national dataset for robust epidemiological insights.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Italian singleton births from 1990-1998 (n=1,510,823).
  • Logistic regression models adjusted for confounders to assess preterm birth risk across paternal age groups.
  • Nonparametric regression used to model the effect of paternal age on very preterm births.

Main Results:

  • Paternal age was significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.
  • The risk for very preterm births escalated more rapidly with paternal age compared to moderate preterm births.
  • Fathers aged 45-49 showed significantly higher odds of very preterm births with younger mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal age is a confirmed contributor to preterm birth risk.
  • The association between paternal age and preterm birth is stronger for very preterm outcomes.
  • Advanced paternal age also influences the risk of moderate preterm births, highlighting its broad impact.
Abstract

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