Is advanced paternal age a health risk for the offspring?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is advanced paternal age a health risk for the offspring?

AU - Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

AU - Urhoj, Stine Kjaer

N1 - Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/2/1

Y1 - 2017/2/1

N2 - In this article we review the epidemiologic evidence for adverse health effects in offspring of fathers of advanced age. First the evidence regarding fetal survival is addressed, and afterward we review the evidence regarding morbidity in children with older fathers. The adverse conditions most consistently associated with increased paternal age are stillbirths, musculo-skeletal syndromes, cleft palate, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and retinoblastoma, and neurodevelopmental disorders in the autism spectrum and schizophrenia. Finally, we consider the public health impact of the increasing paternal age. We conclude that the adverse health effects in children that might be caused by the present increase in paternal age are severe but quantitatively of minor importance. However, identification of morbidities that are more frequent in offspring of older fathers, after having taken any maternal age effects and other confounding into account, may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis behind such conditions.

AB - In this article we review the epidemiologic evidence for adverse health effects in offspring of fathers of advanced age. First the evidence regarding fetal survival is addressed, and afterward we review the evidence regarding morbidity in children with older fathers. The adverse conditions most consistently associated with increased paternal age are stillbirths, musculo-skeletal syndromes, cleft palate, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and retinoblastoma, and neurodevelopmental disorders in the autism spectrum and schizophrenia. Finally, we consider the public health impact of the increasing paternal age. We conclude that the adverse health effects in children that might be caused by the present increase in paternal age are severe but quantitatively of minor importance. However, identification of morbidities that are more frequent in offspring of older fathers, after having taken any maternal age effects and other confounding into account, may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis behind such conditions.

U2 - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.12.019

DO - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.12.019

M3 - Review

C2 - 28088314

SN - 0015-0282

VL - 107

SP - 312

EP - 318

JO - Fertility and Sterility

JF - Fertility and Sterility

IS - 2

ER -