Men Have A Biological Clock, Too — Here's What You Need To Know
By Georgina Berbari of mindbodygreen
"Your biological clock is ticking" is a phrase that's been historically— usually abrasively—toggled to women. However, recent research is suggesting that's not the full picture. A new study conducted at Rutgers University adds to this, revealing that men who delay starting a family have a ticking biological clock just like women, and waiting too long to have kids might be putting their partner's health at risk. The study, published in the journal Maturitas, reviewed the effect of parental age on fertility, pregnancy, and children's health by carefully inspecting 40 years of research on this subject. There's no globally definitive definition for "advanced age" when it comes to paternity, but it typically averages between 35 and 45. That said, over the past 40 years, infants born to fathers over the age of 45 have risen 10 percent in the United States, likely as a result of evolving reproductive technology. "While it is widely accepted that physiological changes that occur in women after 35 can affect conception, pregnancy, and the health of the child, most men do not realize their advanced age can have a similar impact," said Gloria Bachmann, one of the study's authors and director of the Women's Health Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in a news release.
How men's age can affect fertility and pregnancy health. This particular Rutgers study is crucial in informing both men and women of their equal part in fertility and childbearing—and not only to diminish double standards but also to protect women and fetuses from severe pregnancy-related complications. According to the study, men ages 45 and older can experience decreased fertility, which, in turn, can put their partners at risk for pregnancy-related complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth. Further, children born to advanced-aged fathers were more likely to be late stillbirths, have low Apgar scores, low birth weights, and higher incidences of newborn seizures and birth defects such as cleft palate and congenital heart disease. As the children matured, they were more likely to have psychiatric and cognitive disorders, childhood cancers, and autism. Conscious Life Magazine
