Older Fatherhood Puts Child At Risk

Having a baby is a big decision- some plan for it and some don’t. If the thought has crossed your mind but you are waiting until you are older, new research suggests that you might want to do it sooner than later. A recent study undertaken in Australia reports that fathers who wait until they are older to have children have children with lower IQ’s compared to children who are fathered by a younger man.

The study was undertaken by John McGrath as the University of Queensland in Australia. It consisted to over 33,000 children as test subjects who ranged in age from 8 months to seven years. They tested the children’s cognitive skills such as concentration, learning, speaking, reading, arithmetic, memory, and motor skills. They found that children with older fathers scored lower on these tests compared to those with younger fathers.  Previous research has also recommended that parents have children at a younger age due to the correlation between older fathers and birth defects , autism, and schizophrenia. So what is the ideal age to father a child? Doctors advise that a man’s testosterone levels begin to decline at the age of 30, making the 20’s and 30’s the ideal age to have children. Unfortunately, for some people this just isn’t possible or they aren’t yet ready to have a family. Fathers who have children at older ages can have healthy children, but they are at a higher risk for certain problems and doctors recommend that they be educated about all of the risks involved in fathering a child later on in life.

Because many people are going to post secondary schools, concentrating on their career, and taking longer to get married, the age of the average mother and father is increasing. This may lead to numerous health concerns for a greater number of children in the near future.