We see the female biological clock mentioned constantly when looking at fertility treatment and female infertility, but what about the males?
New research has suggested that men may also have a time limit on having children. A new study recently published in the journal Maturitas has suggested that men should consider banking their sperm before reaching “advanced paternal age”, which has been defined as between the ages of 35-45.
It has been shown that older men have a higher level of DNA fragmentation in their sperm and may experience decreased fertility, placing their female partners at a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and long-term effects such as cognitive disorders such as autism.
The study was able to look at data from over 40 years’ worth of research and reach the conclusion that advanced paternal age may have a detrimental effect on fertility, pregnancy and the long-term health of the offspring. It has been well documented that men of advanced paternal age have a greater risk of producing offspring that have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, alarmingly one in 47 children born with fathers over 50 years of age.
It’s incredibly important to take this new research into account and for men who are looking at starting a family, to possibly start sooner or potentially freeze their sperm for later use.
