We often hear about the risks for a pregnant mother above the age of 35, but what about men? Here’s what you need to know about a man’s biological clock.
We often hear about the risks for a pregnant mother above the age of 35, but what about men? Does their age matter in the mating equation? Are you ever too old to be a dad?
While it’s true that men can biologically father children into their 70s or even 80s, there hasn’t been much research about the health of these children—until recently.
A quick biology lesson
Women are born with all of their eggs at birth. Men, on the other hand, are constantly renewing their sperm. On one hand, we think this is good, because the sperm is fresh, but it also is more representative of the male’s age and as he gets older, you see more defects and mutations and oddly-shaped sperm. In other words, the older a man is, the more chance there is for disorders to occur.
A biological clock… for men?
Turns out, just as women enter the high risk category at the age of 35, the same is true for men. At this age, they start to develop issues with their sperm that can affect the offspring’s overall health.
For example, in men over 40, there is almost a six-fold increase in autism disorders in their children compared with men under the age of 25. Wow!
And for men in their 50s, there is a three-fold increase in schizophrenia when compared with men under the age of 20. And there is a direct increase associated with age. The older the man is, the higher the risk of schizophrenia is in his offspring. Wow again!
Don’t get me wrong: It’s totally possible to have kids later in life (we are prime examples!), but there are definitely some things to be aware of when you make this choice.
Mike and I are (somewhat) older parents…
I had Griffin when I was 35 and Mike was almost 38. We had our second child when I was 37 and Mike was 40. And, now, we have three children! Faith was born when we were both well into our 40s—I was 43 and Mike was almost 45!
While I loved having kids later in life, because I was able to do so much and travel and work and explore, I also think it’s harder physically. In my 20s, I could pull all-nighters, no problem. In my thirties, yeah… not so much. And in my 40s… well, let’s just say it’s totally possible, but I definitely felt the effects a lot more this time around.
The demands of a newborn are very real… breastfeeding, waking up multiple times per night… there’s a lot that goes into caring for a new life. And let’s not even talk about the toddler stage… chasing around a toddler is definitely tougher when you’ve got some years under your belt.
I’m gonna tell my kids, have your children in your late twenties. That way you’ve had some life, you have some wisdom, but you also have your youth.
How about YOU?
What do you think about this male sperm story? When did you have kids or when do you want them? Share with us in the comments below!
