Reasons not to delay having kids. What the research says!

Summary

Some studies suggest that both young and advanced maternal age increase the risk of intellectual and learning disabilities, ADHD, and adverse birth outcomes, while other studies indicate that advanced paternal age is associated with higher risks of autism, schizophrenia, and other genetic disorders in offspring.

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Introduction

The age at which parents conceive can significantly impact the risk of their offspring developing disabilities. Both maternal and paternal ages have been studied extensively to understand their effects on various developmental and intellectual disabilities in children.

Maternal

• Advanced Maternal Age and Risk of Disabilities:

  • Women over 35 years have a higher risk of infertility, pregnancy complications, spontaneous abortion, congenital anomalies, and perinatal complications.

  • Advanced maternal age (over 40 years) is associated with increased risks of preterm delivery, pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, cesarean section, abnormal fetal presentation, and severe neonatal complications such as periventricular leukomalacia and intraventricular haemorrhage.

  • Children born to mothers aged 35-39 years have higher odds of learning disabilities (LD).

• Young Maternal Age and Risk of Disabilities:

  • Young maternal age (18-24 years) is associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LD) in offspring.

  • Maternal age under 17 years is an independent risk factor for severe neonatal complications such as grade 3 or 4 intraventricular haemorrhage.

• Gestational Age and Risk of Intellectual Disability:

  • Preterm birth is strongly associated with an increased risk of intellectual disability, with the risk decreasing as gestational age approaches term and increasing again post-term.

  • Children born small for gestational age have a higher risk of intellectual disability, regardless of gestational age.

Paternal

• Advanced Paternal Age and Risk of Disabilities:

  • Advanced paternal age is linked to decreased sperm quality, increased genetic abnormalities, and epigenetic changes, which can lead to higher risks of autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and childhood leukaemia in offspring.

  • Older paternal age is a significant predictor of the severity of autism symptoms in children.

• Sperm Morphology and DNA Integrity:

  • There is evidence of a decline in sperm morphology and increased DNA fragmentation with age, although findings are mixed. Some studies report significant changes, while others do not find a strong correlation.

• Molecular and Functional Changes:

  • Ageing affects the molecular composition of sperm, including alterations in proteins and small RNAs, which may contribute to reduced fertility.

• Decline in Sperm Motility and Volume with Age:

  • Multiple studies indicate that sperm motility and semen volume decrease with age. Men aged 30-50 show a decline in semen volume by 3%-22% and sperm motility by 3%-37%

Conclusion

Both advanced and young maternal ages are associated with increased risks of various disabilities in offspring, including ADHD, learning disabilities, and severe neonatal complications. Advanced paternal age also contributes to higher risks of genetic and developmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Additionally, gestational age plays a crucial role, with preterm and post-term births being linked to higher risks of intellectual disabilities. These findings highlight the importance of considering parental age and gestational timing in reproductive planning and prenatal care to mitigate the risks of disabilities in children.

Sources:

1. H. Heuvelman et al. "Gestational age at birth and risk of intellectual disability without a common genetic cause." European Journal of Epidemiology, 33 (2017): 667 - 678.

2. Jichong Huang et al. "Prenatal, Perinatal and Neonatal Risk Factors for Intellectual Disability: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis." PLoS ONE, 11 (2016).

3. R. Sharma et al. "Effects of increased paternal age on sperm quality, reproductive outcome and associated epigenetic risks to offspring." Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E, 13 (2015).

4. Ling Gao et al. "Maternal age at childbirth and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disability in offspring." Frontiers in Public Health, 11 (2023).

5. A. Kaltsas et al. "Impact of Advanced Paternal Age on Fertility and Risks of Genetic Disorders in Offspring." Genes, 14 (2023).

6. S. Kidd et al. "Effects of male age on semen quality and fertility: a review of the literature.." Fertility and sterility, 75 2 (2001): 237-48 .

7. G. Haidl et al. "Ageing and sperm function.." Human reproduction, 11 3 (1996): 558-60 .

8. J. Santiago et al. "P-115 The ageing sperm: molecular mechanisms underlying the age-associated decline in human sperm quality." Human Reproduction (2022).

9. D. Baird et al. "Fertility and ageing.." Human reproduction update, 11 3 (2005): 261-76 .

10. T. Winkle et al. "The correlation between male age, sperm quality and sperm DNA fragmentation in 320 men attending a fertility center." Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 26 (2008): 41-46.

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