New Delhi: When it comes to fertility and the prospect of having normal babies, it has always been assumed that men have no biological clock — that unlike women, they can have it all, at any age. A number of studies also suggest that male fertility may diminish with age.
However the latest clinical findings have challenged this assumption, suggesting that as men get older, they face an increased risk of fathering children with abnormalities.
Recent studies are starting to persuade doctors that men should not be too high-handed about postponing marriage and children.
It has been found that higher rates autism and schizophrenia is detected in babies who were born to men in their middle and late 40s.
“Obviously there is a difference between men and women; women simply can’t have children after a certain age,” Dr Harry Fisch of Male Reproductive Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center was quoted by The New York Times.
“Not every man can be guaranteed that everything’s going to be fine,” Dr Fisch added. “Fertility will drop for some men, others will maintain their fertility but not to the same degree, and there is an increased risk of genetic abnormalities.”
“Advanced maternal age” is formally defined: women who are 35 or older when they deliver their baby may have “A.M.A.” stamped on their medical files to call attention to the higher risks they face.
“The message to men is: ‘Wake up and smell the java,’ ” Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Fertility Association was quoted by The New York Times. ‘It’s not just about women anymore, it’s about you too,” she adds.
Excerpts from The New York Times
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