Are children born to older men risk defects?

[Special T]

I want to have kids but don't know when it'll happen. Both of my parents were older when they had me (45 and 43) and I came out okay. I know that women shouldn't have children too late. Just say I'm doing real good in life and marry a 25 year old and I'm 47. Can I still have healthy children?

(That's just an extreme example haha)

 

[mrRuckus]

It applies to men too. I don't recall to what extent but i remember reading about this.

The children least likely to have defects are from a young man and a young woman.

I wouldn't worry too much about it if the girl is young. Probabilities and that...

 

[bigjohnson]

The jury seems to be out WRT older men contributing to birth defects and so on, but fertility definitely declines with age. The studies that seem to point towards older men making inferior children generally data mine and don't properly control for other factors, such as maternal age and first child effect, to name just two of many.

 

[BobMo']

I've researched this recently, and what I've found is that there seems to an increase in birth defects and the occurrence of Down's Syndrome when the father is over 50.

However, in these days of amniocentesis, you could, and should at that age, have a test done. If the likely outcome, based on the test, isn't to your liking, you could abort the pregnancy.