Children of older fathers are at greater risk of certain diseases
A friend of mine wonders if we’ll soon be hearing about Generation V.
His idea is that a new generation coming along might have a much higher number of kids who have older parents due to widespread use of Viagra and other ED drugs.
He could be on to something there. And if he is, it could signal an unfortunate wave of health challenges for that generation.
A few years ago, a New York University School of Medicine study showed that children born to fathers in their late 40s were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia as children born to fathers in their 20s.
Autism and breast cancer rates are also higher in children born to older fathers.
New research from the UK may reveal what’s going on here. Scientists have found that a specific type of testicular tumor that occurs in older men may be made of the same cells that produce sperm that carry a mutant gene. As men grow older, the number of sperm carrying the mutation increases.
Researchers note that older men shouldn’t necessarily avoid fatherhood. The risk of having children with mutant genes is relatively small. Still, they need to be aware of possible repercussions when they contribute to Generation V.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
