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Advanced paternal age: how old is too old?

Isabelle Bray1, David Gunnell, George Davey Smith

  • 1Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, UK. Issy.Bray@bristol.ac.uk

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|September 16, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Paternal age is rising in the UK, increasing risks for children born to older fathers. These risks include reduced fertility, birth defects, cancers, and schizophrenia, necessitating public health attention.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Genetics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Average paternal age in the UK is increasing.
  • The public health implications of this trend are not widely anticipated or debated.
  • Accumulated chromosomal aberrations and mutations during male germ cell maturation are linked to increased risks with older fathers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To contribute to the debate on the public health implications of increasing paternal age.
  • To highlight the potential health risks for offspring of older fathers.

Main Methods:

  • This is a commentary, not an empirical study.
  • It reviews existing evidence on the health outcomes of offspring born to older fathers.

Main Results:

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  • Growing evidence indicates that offspring of older fathers have reduced fertility.
  • Increased risk of birth defects, certain cancers, and schizophrenia in offspring of older fathers has been observed.
  • Societal advantages for children born to older parents exist but should be weighed against adverse health outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • The trend of increasing paternal age warrants public health attention.
  • Adverse health outcomes for offspring must be considered alongside potential societal benefits.
  • Further debate and anticipation of public health implications are necessary.