Harry Firsch says "The message here for men is: don't wait too long."

Friday, September 5, 2008
Older Men Are More Likely To Father Children With Bipolar Disorder
Recent research brings to light more bad news for older fathers. This Swedish study showed that children born to fathers 55 years or older were 1.37 times more likely to go on to be diagnosed with the mental illness bipolar disorder than those of men aged 20 to 24. The study examined 13,428 people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and took into account family history and socioeconomic status. Bipolar disorder is often a cyclic condition with which people periodically exhibit elevated (manic) and depressive episodes.

Harry Fisch, MD, a male infertility expert and the author of "The Male Biological Clock", states "We're finding that as the father's age increases, there's an increased chance not just of infertility or Down's syndrome, but also schizophrenia, autism-related disorders and bipolar, too." He says "The message here for men is: don't wait too long."