A new study suggests that men who start families later in life should know the potential health risks to their children.

It is trite to state you cannot control your age, but a new US study suggests those wishing to start a family later in life should know of the following. Researchers at Stanford University in California studied health records linked to all live births in the US between 2007 and 2016. More than 40 million births and babies were included in this study!

The records showed that children born to men aged 45 and over had a 14% greater risk of premature birth, low birth weight and being admitted to neonatal intensive care compared with babies born to younger fathers. This is statistically significant, although the risk appears to be modest.

This study, published in the British Medical Journal also suggested that Infants born to men aged 45 and over also scored lower on the Apgar newborn health test, and were 18% more likely to have seizures compared with infants born to fathers aged 25 to 34 years. In addition, the risk of gestational diabetes was greater for women when they had children with older men.

As always, arming yourself with relevant and timely information is important. While you cannot control your age, as mentioned, be aware of your and your partner’s risk factors so you can make appropriate decisions. These decisions may include trying to help reduce risk and plan appropriately.

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