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Paternal Age Alters Social Development in Offspring.
Magdalena Janecka1, Claire M A Haworth2, Angelica Ronald3
1Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre, King's College London, UK; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.
Summary
Advanced paternal age (APA) and very young paternal age are linked to altered social development trajectories in children. These effects appear specific to social development and may involve genetic factors in older fathers.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Advanced paternal age (APA) is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia.
- These disorders significantly impact social functioning in offspring.
- The effects of paternal age on general social development require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the influence of paternal age on socioemotional development across childhood and adolescence.
- To explore the genetic and environmental factors contributing to paternal age effects on social development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multilevel growth modeling on the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) sample.
- Assessed socioemotional development using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
- Employed Additive genetics, Common environment, unique Environment (ACE) and gene-environment (GxE) models to analyze genetic and environmental influences.
Main Results:
- Both very young and advanced paternal ages were associated with altered social development trajectories (p < .05).
- Paternal age effects were specific to social development, not impacting other behavioral domains.
- Genetic factors played a more significant role in social development for offspring of older fathers.
Conclusions:
- Paternal age influences social development trajectories in the general population.
- APA-related social deficits may represent a continuous distribution rather than distinct clinical diagnoses.
- Findings suggest distinct genetic and environmental underpinnings for paternal age effects at different paternal age extremes.