Influence of Paternal Age on Pregnancy Outcome

People are waiting longer to have a family. The availability of donor eggs has allowed many older couples to also start or complete their families later in life. Advance paternal age greater than age 50 is associated with many epigenetic phenomena in children including autism, dwarfism and even premenopausal breast cancer in women whose fathers were over 50 years old when they were born. Not much is known about the influence of paternal age and perinatal outcomes. Many of our patients concerned about age ask what the influence of paternal age on pregnancy outcome is? A recent study sheds some light on this question.

A large population-based study of all live births (>830,000 births) in Ohio from 2006 through 2012 addressed this issue (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2017;217:566). Paternal age ranged from 12-87 years and maternal age ranged from 11-62 years. After accounting for maternal age and other confounding risk factors, increased paternal age was not associated with a significant increase in the rate of preeclampsia, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, congenital anomaly, genetic disorder, or neonatal intensive care unit admission. The authors concluded that older paternal age does not appear to pose an independent risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies achieved either with or without assisted reproductive technologies.

We encourage all of our patients to lead a healthy lifestyle in order to have the best chance possible of conceiving, and our success rates are outstanding. If you have questions about your or your partner’s fertility, please contact us today!