The Age Of The Father Can Influence The Mental Health Of The Child
A study published in JAMA Psychiatry states that Children born to parents over 45 years of age have a higher risk of psychological disorders in the future.
The relationship between parental age and psychological disorders
The study confirms research carried out in the past, which stated that there was a relationship between certain disorders such as autism and children born to elderly parents.
According to the data published in this research, children of parents who have had their children after the age of 45 have a higher risk (up to 34 percent) of suffering from mental disorders such as bipolarity or schizophrenia.
Furthermore, this study also confirms that, compared to offspring of young parents, offspring of parents over 45 years of age suffer more academic problems: a low IQlow academic qualifications or a low educational level.
The study was carried out between Indiana and Sweden
The research has been carried out by Indiana University, in the United States, together with the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden. The data used was extracted from Swedish hospitals, and medical records of births produced between 1973 and 2001 were used. In total, 2.6 million participating subjects were counted.
The study compared the data provided by children born to parents over 45 years old and the data provided by descendants of parents between 24 and 29 years old.
This study is not the first to find an association between the advanced age of parents and mental disorders or educational problems of their children.
The results from the sample of Swedish subjects seem to indicate that There are numerous psychiatric problems and learning difficulties that children of elderly parents can suffer.including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicide attempts, and substance abuse problems or autism.
Among the results obtained, it can be highlighted that there is a 3.5 times greater chance of suffering from autism if the parents are over 45 years old when their children are born, 2.5 times more likely that their children will develop suicidal behavior or 13 times more likely to suffer from autism. ADHD.
The causes
Past research already stated that The aging uterus of a woman over 40 years old is a risk factor for her childrenbut this study seems to indicate that the sperm of the father over 45 years of age can also have negative consequences for the subsequent development of the child, that is, the low semen quality of elderly parents can affect their children.
As researchers state, men transmit to their children a higher percentage of spontaneous (non-hereditary) mutations that cause future psychological problems and learning disorders. As a man gets older, he is exposed to more environmental toxins that can lead to DNA changes in his sperm.
Spaniards are increasingly delaying the age to have children
The social conditions experienced by the population in Spain and the difficulties in leaving home and becoming independent before the age of 30, means that the reproductive age of Spaniards has changed in recent years, and There are many parents who have their first child after 30.
Therefore, despite the fact that delay in the age of procreation is seen as normal, health professionals have raised the alarm on numerous occasions and point out that procreation at late ages has negative consequences for the child.
