NO TICKING, BUT THE RISKS ARE THERE

Should men put off having children?

Only if they consider the health risks

Men, unlike women, have no upper age limit on being able to sire children. Historically, men were often older than their partners, sometimes by decades.

In times when men worked to provide for the family and women needed to produce children, it made sense for an older, experienced man to have a younger wife. And now with second or third marriages or postdivorce relationships being common, older men are again becoming parents. But scientists warn that older fathers may be responsible for significant health problems in their children.

Increased age of fathers has been linked to genetic disorders, low birth weight, pregnancy problems, mental illness, autism, and low IQ. Although much research is inconclusive, new advances show a clear relationship between older fathers and genetic mutations. Statistics reveal that older fathers are becoming more common, which increases the likelihood of children born with physical or mental health problems.

In 2016, a team from

Oxford, England, published a paper that explained how “selfish” mutations in sperm were replicated in a similar way to cancer cells so that apparently random mutations appear more frequently than explained by pure chance. Crucially, they showed the rate of mutations was linked closely to the age of the father.

Although women have known for a long time that advancing age might create complications in pregnancy, a 2012 American study found women whose partners were aged 40 to 45 were 24 percent more likely to have stillborn children—almost 50 percent more likely to have a stillborn child by a man aged over 45. Men over 45 are also more likely to father children who have low birth weight and are born preterm. Other studies reveal a link between the age of fathers and an increased risk of miscarriage.

Numerous studies continue to support this. A 2014 study, published in “JAMA Psychiatry,” looked at outcomes for over 2 million children born between 1973 and 2001 and found older fathers were much more likely to have children with ADHD, who had low academic performance, or who dropped out of school early. There was also evidence that the children of older men are more often born with serious mental health problems such as autism, schizophrenia, and being suicidal.

These problems occur more likely because of the different ways eggs and sperm are produced. Women are born with all the egg cells they will need for life. At puberty, the ovaries begin releasing egg cells and continue until menopause, when the supply of eggs is finished. In contrast, men produce a new supply of sperm roughly every two weeks. Sperm-producing cells split, creating one sperm and one sperm-producing cell, which then splits again. Because this process continues throughout a man’s life, the risk of genetic abnormalities rises. A man and a woman in their 20s will both, on average, pass on about 20 mutations to their children.

There is no reason older men shouldn’t have healthy, happy children. There are some advantages to having an older father: They are often more financially secure, more emotionally mature, and more committed to relationships. But any couple considering putting off children until they’re older should consider the health risks associated with older fathers. The decision shouldn’t just be about the ability of the parents to provide for children materially and emotionally, but also their ability to provide the best possible genetic inheritance.

Beef And Cabbage Stir Fry

SERVES 4 TO 6

A simple, one-pan meal with a lot of options for a customized taste your family will love.

Ingredients

Directions

• Brown beef in a large skillet or wok, adding spices to taste as you go.

• When beef is almost completely browned, add sliced onions and grated carrots.

• When onions/carrots are starting to soften, add cabbage and spice well.

• Cook about 10 more minutes, stirring often until cabbage starts to soften. Serve. Can be topped with salsa or sour cream, if desired.

“My favorite thing to do is teach how to cook easy, healthy, budget-friendly meals with minimal ingredients!”

Jaime Alonso, certified health coach

I received my initial training and certification as a wellness coach at Spencer Institute. I then continued my training as a health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s cutting-edge health coach training program. During my training, I studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovating coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. My teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, director of The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willet, chair of nutrition at Harvard University; Geenan Roth, best-selling author and expert on emotional eating; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

My responsibility at TNT is to help you create a “sustainable” lifestyle change. Meeting you where you are in your journey and equipping you with practical tools to grow and learn new strategies; teaching you how to shop and meal plan; helping you create new ideas; and learning how to go out to eat are a few of the hands-on lessons you receive. I teach you how to life well for life!