Older, Not Bolder, He Told Her

May-December marriages have always attracted attention. Often, they involve an older celebrity or a mega-successful man finding a path to the younger, sexually more vibrant woman. Over the last few years, we’ve seen evidence of a reversal in this pattern – successful older women with attractive younger men – moving out from the “toy-boy” label to longer-term/permanent relationships. We’ve also been obsessed with women working on their careers and postponing child-bearing until well into their 40s or beyond and the potential health risks to the child.

But what we haven’t been particularly concerned about, regarding May-December older-male scenarios, is whether or older fathers contribute any additional health risks to their progeny. Most of us just smile at elderly prowess generating babies. We wonder what the old father would look like as they go to the soccer games of the little one. We question if the old guy would miss the traditional events like high school or college graduation or the marriage of their children when they come of age.

But on February 26th, the Journal of the American Medical Association/Psychiatry published a study that looked for mental-health-issue statistical anomalies in such children of older fathers. The results created a flashing amber light for couples with an older man as the father of the child.

“Children born to middle-aged men are more likely than those born to younger fathers to develop any of a range of mental difficulties, including attention deficits, bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia, according to the most comprehensive study to date of paternal age and offspring mental health…

“The new report, which looked at many mental disorders in Sweden, should inflame the debate [around such risks], if not settle it, experts said. Men have a biological clock of sorts because of random mutations in sperm over time, the report suggests, and the risks associated with later fatherhood may be higher than previously thought…

“The research team, led by Brian M. D’Onofrio of Indiana University, analyzed medical and public records of about 2.6 million people born in Sweden from 1973 to 2001. Like many European countries, Sweden has centralized medical care and keeps detailed records, so the scientists knew the father’s age for each birth and were able to track each child’s medical history over time, as well as that of siblings and other relatives. Among other things, the analysis compared the mental health of siblings born to the same father and found a clear pattern of increased risk with increasing paternal age.

“Compared with the children of young fathers, aged 20 to 24, those born to men age 45 and older had about twice the risk of developing psychosis, the signature symptom of schizophrenia; more than three times the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of autism; and about 13 times the chance of having a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder. Children born to older fathers also tended to struggle more with academics and substance abuse…

“The researchers found much larger increases in risk for attention deficits (13-fold) and bipolar disorder (25-fold) associated with late fatherhood. ‘I don’t know what to do with those numbers,’ [Dr. Patrick F. Sullivan, a professor of genetics at the University of North Carolina, who was not involved in the research] said, noting that two recent genetic studies found that the contribution of de novo mutations to the risk of mental disorders was ‘probably pretty low’ compared with other factors.” New York Times, February 27th.

While most children born of such relationships will probably be fine, the fact that the number of statistical anomalies rises so significantly with older fathers merits individual investigation as a pregnancy progresses. It is also an advisory to younger women baggin’ older men but with birthin’ on their minds… and older men with “the next new family” as a goal.

I’m Peter Dekom, and while we might have differing feelings about relationships with significant age disparities, the impact on children being brought into the world cannot be taken lightly.