Fatherhood Consideration

[Admin]

I ran across this article on CNN today. Among other considerations, one should be aware of the increased likelihood of autism in children fathered by men 40 or older. Here is the article -- http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/04/autism.dads.age.ap/index.html

Something (else) to consider.

- Dan

[TexasBoar]

Thanks for the link . . . I mentioned this in a post recently, but it's nice to see the actual study documented.  Now people know I wasn't just talking out the incorrect orifice! 

I also heard a study cited on CNN earlier this year that put the risk of schizophrenia in children sired by fathers over 40 at 1 in 4. 

Kinda takes the wind outta the ol' sails a bit, it does.

~Boar

[beattledog]

yes, it does

sad beattledog

[prince_alfie]

Actually I am not too surprised at the results.

The ability of the body to do successful genetic repairs is reduced as you grow older. The peak years for this process would be 20's and 30's. All cells undergo a limited number of runs before they are discarded at the end of the cycle before cell death.

Also I would suspect that personal lifestyle would have a big factor in all of this.

[bgreed]

Since most of CNN's reporting poor at best I think I would take a second look at the source.  And since every wanna be published science geek comes up with some study and result just so he can be published.  Remember what CNN stands for (Constant Negative News)

[beattledog]

Love what you said that CNN stands for

Hopeful beattledog

[Son of Clyde]

If this study was done among 130,000 Israeli jews born after 1980 couldn't the results be a little skewed? This is but one populace. There are risk factors that may be unique to Israeli's or jews or Irish people or Italians. I mean to say diet and location are factors and lifestyle issues. Is the general health of Israeli people better or worse than people in other locations?
I used to hear that pregnancy after 35 is an issue and today many women are having children later in life.

[TexasBoar]

That's an interesting point . . . a large (majority, IIRC) percentage of the population of Israel are Ashkenazi, rather than Sephardic Jews, and the effects of genetic mutation and drift within the Ashkenazi population have been quite well documented (Ashkenazi Jews, on average, score a standard deviation higher---115 instead of 100---on IQ tests) and involve higher cognitive functions.  It wouldn't be a leap at all to suspect higher autism rates as a side effect within that population.

The recently published Before the Dawn by science journalist Nicholas Wade reports at great length about divergent evolution within specific geographic and cultural divisions of the human population.  Fascinating stuff.

~Boar

[SANDRO43]

I mean to say diet and location are factors and lifestyle issues.

Sure do. IIRC, a World Health Organization study attributed to Japan and Italy the the world's longest life expectancies, and what our two countries share is a rather typical diet (mostly fish and pasta, respectively). It would be interesting to see if diet influences lifestyle, or viceversa (probably a chicken-and-egg problem).

No idea how this may influence "problem" offspring, though, now that Viagra & Cialis are "revitalising" the old bloods (a friend of my same age, 60+, was telling me enthusiastically how the blue pill had allowed him to accomodate his wife's long dormant but recently reawakened urges that had him worried, since he also has another steady relationship to satisfy on the side ).

[Bruce]

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5517a3.htm

From reading the CDC report autism sounds difficult to diagnose.  If it is true it is definitely another thing for me to worry about - though in my case, so far so good  .

[Turboguy]

I am not saying not to take this seriously but just remember there is a big difference between "an increase risk"  and an "absolute guarantee"   I would suggest not taking it lightly at all but I have seen a lot of older men and older couples have perfectly healthy babies.

[Daknack]

What I want to know, is how many of those fathers were with healthy women for optimal childbearing.  If they were not, the results are pretty much of no importance in my mind.  Women after age 30 have exponentially great chances for flaws because they are the incubators for babys, men are basically just DNA donors.

[Wild Orchid*]

It is about time something was said about aging new fathers. So far clocks were ticking only for women… As you can see..  As far as risk is concerned , yes  it is not a guarantee but to ignore the risk is just foolish..

[bgreed]

Since I have a son with Aspergers which is a very high functioning form of autism and yes it is very difficult to diagnosis.  In his case it is a matter of not recognizing the social cues that we all take for granted and being very one subject oriented. If it is a subject that he has an interest in he can tell you everything that you never wanted to know.  On the other side of the coin is kids like this are extremely intelligent and are many times able to think more outside the box.  There has been some speculation that many of our brightest minds throughout history may have "suffered" from some level of autism.  There is much more to this than the usual picture of the child sitting in a catatonic pose rocking back and form mumbling to themselves.

[Shadow]

If I recall it right each of us has a certain form of autism. It shows in daily habits that you 'have' to do.
While in certain people it creates a problem, for others it is more or less unnoticed.

Next time you look at the clock and see that it is 'time for coffee' understand that this is a ery light form of autism.
Same goes for what you do the moment you wake up in the morning.

In 'normal' people these patterns are used not to overload our brain with thinking about routine.

[SANDRO43]

If I recall it right each of us has a certain form of autism. It shows in daily habits that you 'have' to do...Next time you look at the clock and see that it is 'time for coffee' understand that this is a ery light form of autism.

Shadow, are you not mixing autism up with automatism ?

By definition, autism must manifest delays in "social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play" (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism)

Same goes for what you do the moment you wake up in the morning.

If that were autism, you'd always be late at work .

[Shadow]

Shadow, are you not mixing autism up with automatism ?

By definition, autism must manifest delays in "social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play" (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism)If that were autism, you'd always be late at work .

I am always late for work  But usually I finish late as well 

And the line between automatism and autism is nothing more than social acceptance 

[Daknack]

Since I have a son with Aspergers which is a very high functioning form of autism and yes it is very difficult to diagnosis.  In his case it is a matter of not recognizing the social cues that we all take for granted and being very one subject oriented. If it is a subject that he has an interest in he can tell you everything that you never wanted to know.  On the other side of the coin is kids like this are extremely intelligent and are many times able to think more outside the box.  There has been some speculation that many of our brightest minds throughout history may have "suffered" from some level of autism.  There is much more to this than the usual picture of the child sitting in a catatonic pose rocking back and form mumbling to themselves.

Ive worked with alot of these kids in school.  I dont think it belongs as a form of autism.  Autism is a loose definition of various social disfunctions and several types have little in common.