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Association of paternal age with prevalence of selected birth defects
Natalie P Archer1, Peter H Langlois, Lucina Suarez
1Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, USA. natalie.archer@dshs.state.tx.us
Insights
Paternal age influences birth defect risks, with younger fathers having higher gastroschisis rates and older fathers having lower trisomy 13 rates. Study data source impacts findings on paternal age and birth defects.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Paternal age's impact on birth defects is understudied compared to maternal age.
- Texas birth defect registry data (1996-2002) was used to investigate this association.
- Focus on selected structural birth defects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between paternal age and the prevalence of specific structural birth defects.
- To identify potential risks linked to advanced or young paternal age.
Main Methods:
- Poisson regression analysis was employed.
- Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.
- Adjustments were made for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and parity.
Main Results:
- Fathers aged 20-24 had increased gastroschisis risk (PR 1.47) compared to fathers 25-29.
- Fathers aged 40+ had decreased trisomy 13 risk (PR 0.40).
- No significant association was found for anencephaly or encephalocele; selection bias noted for other defects.
Conclusions:
- Paternal age is a factor in certain birth defect prevalences.
- The validity of findings on paternal age and birth defects can be influenced by data source and potential biases.
Background:
Unlike maternal age, the effect of paternal age on birth defect prevalence has not been well examined. We used cases from the Texas birth defect registry, born during 1996-2002, to evaluate the association of paternal age with the prevalence of selected structural birth defects.
Methods:
Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with paternal age for each birth defect, adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and parity.
Results:
Relative to fathers ages 25-29 years, fathers 20-24 years of age were more likely to have offspring with gastroschisis (PR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.12-1.94), and fathers 40+ years old were less likely to have offspring with trisomy 13 (PR 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16-0.96). No association was seen between paternal age and prevalence of anencephaly and encephalocele. A selection bias was observed for the other birth defects in which cases of younger fathers were more often excluded from study.
Conclusions:
In studies of birth defect risk and paternal age, the source of information may affect the validity of findings.
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