Dr Dillner's health dilemmas: Should men become fathers before they are 40? | Life and style | Th...

Tags: eye, older, that, people, research, their, mother, pass

"(...) There are many studies showing associations between the age of fathers and increases in the risks of rare genetic conditions such as achondroplasia short limb dwarfism Other conditions include cleft lip and palate a threefold increase in retinoblastomas a childhood cancer of part of the eye and other illnesses later in life such as breast and prostate cancer The Malaysian Mental Health Survey found people whose fathers were at least 11 years older than their mothers had an increased risk of anxiety depression and obsessive compulsive disorders It may also take longer for older men to become fathers Men start to have reduced fertility by their late 30s and if over 40 increase the risk of their partner having an early miscarriage The age of the mother is still the more important factor in the likelihood of getting pregnant and having a miscarriage but once a man is over 40 his reduction in fertility contributes to the overall risk (...)"