MEAN PATERNAL AGE AT BIRTH OF 309 PDD CHILDREN OF 34.6 WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER

Short Communication
Parental ages at birth of children with pervasive developmental disorders are higher than those of children in the general population
TOMONORI KOYAMA, ms,1,21Department of Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, and2Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanTomonori Koyama, MS, Department of Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187–8553, Japan. Email: tomok@ncnp.go.jp YUKO MIYAKE, phd11Department of Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, and AND HIROSHI KURITA, md22Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 1Department of Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, and 2Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Tomonori Koyama, MS, Department of Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187–8553, Japan. Email: tomok@ncnp.go.jp
Abstract
Abstract To examine whether parental ages at birth of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) are elevated, maternal/paternal ages at birth of 309 PDD children born in 1993–2003 (mean age, 8.4 years) were compared with those of children in the Japanese national statistics (general population). The mean maternal/paternal ages (years) at birth of PDD children of 31.7/34.6 were significantly higher even than the highest mean maternal/paternal ages at birth of children of 31.2/33.6 in the national statistics in 2003. This first Japanese study to report elevated parental ages at birth of PDD children underscores the need of further extensive studies.