EVIDENCE is mounting that men who become fathers in their 40s or older are more likely to produce children with brain development disorders

Autism risk for delaying dadsArticle from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment Janelle Miles
January 29, 2008 11:00pm

EVIDENCE is mounting that men who become fathers in their 40s or older are more likely to produce children with brain development disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.

Queensland researchers have found adult mice born to older fathers have differently shaped brains and are generally more anxious and less adventurous than those fathered by younger animals.
Senior investigator John McGrath, of the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, said brain scans of the mice showed those born to older fathers had thicker cerebral cortexes.

Previously, population-based studies have found the children of fathers aged 40 and older have twice the risk of schizophrenia and a six-times increased likelihood of autism than those born to dads in their 20s.

"What we've found in the mice is reminiscent of autism because there's some reasonable evidence about early brain overgrowth in autism," Professor McGrath said.

"The results of this type of research support concern about the impact of advanced paternal age."

Queensland Brain Institute researcher Claire Foldi, who conducted the mice study for her honours thesis, presented her findings to the Australian Neuroscience Society's annual meeting in Hobart this week.

Professor McGrath said the results needed to be replicated to give them scientific validity.

But scientists already suspect older men are more likely to produce sperm containing an increased number of DNA errors, which are passed on to offspring.

"The dads are fine. But as they delay fatherhood, then their sperm is more likely to carry mistakes and their offspring may be adversely affected by these changes," Professor McGrath said.

While public health messages have tended to focus on problems associated with delaying motherhood, Professor McGrath said advanced paternal age might also have implications.

"Ageing mothers have had a lot of attention. But the new results suggest that the fathers also may be needing attention," he said.