Postponing fatherhood affects health of offspring, doctors say
Men need to be just as aware of the “reproductive consequences” of postponing parenthood as women, warn new national guidelines on the risks of delayed child-bearing warn.
Though women especially should recognize that their “fecundity and fertility” starts to decline precipitously after 32, sacoche louis vuitton a man’s semen quality and fertility also worsens with age, according to guidelines endorsed by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
In addition, babies born to fathers of “advanced paternal age” – defined as 40 and older at conception – are at increased risk of genetic disorders, as well as schizophrenia, autism and some forms of cancer, the authors say.
The new guideline to doctors comes amid concerns about the number of women delaying child-bearing. In Canada, 11 per cent of first births now occur in women aged 35 and older, up from five per cent in 1987.
If the trend holds, society can expect to spend more on intensive care, special care nurseries and community services for children born to older parents who may have developmental, hearing, speech or language problems, the authors say.
“Widespread pre-conception counselling and education are needed and must be implemented so that the 95 per cent of Canadians who anticipate parenting at some point can make informed decisions,” the authors write in January’s Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.
But while the popular belief is that women are deferring motherhood for their careers, a related survey of more than 1,000 women in Calgary and Edmonton who gave birth to their first child between 2002 and 2003 found that the top three factors influencing timing of pregnancy – regardless of a woman’s age – are relationship security, feeling in control of their life and feeling prepared to be a mother.
Less than a third of women cited career goals, though women more than 35 were more likely than younger women to say they felt their biological clock was ticking.
“We were really surprised, because that was the colloquial dogma,” said Suzanne Tough, a professor in pediatrics and community health sciences at the University of Calgary and a co-author of the study.
For females, the biologically optimum period for having a baby is between 20 and 35. By age 32, a woman’s fecundity – the probability of getting pregnant in a menstrual cycle – starts an irreversible slide.
“The purpose of the guidelines is to enable couples to make informed decisions,” said Tough.
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