An elderly father passes bad genes on to his offspring
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In the course of new research, the researchers found that if a man in old age becomes a father, then for the child it threatens with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or autism. Experts concluded that if a man at the time of conception was at least 45 years old, the probability of developing mental illness in a child is increased by 34% (compared with male fathers aged 25-29 years).
All these conclusions, the researchers did after the survey of approximately three million children. As the results showed, "biological" watches also work for men. However, as women age, the function of the ovaries decreases, which leads to problems with conception, but for men, the risk of genetic mutations that they can transmit to their children at conception increases with age.
As scientists have established, four times more mutations are transmitted from the fathers to the offspring than from the mother. With age, the number of mutated genes in the male body increases. For example, a man who became a father over the age of 30 sends his child four times as many mutations as when he was 20 years old, and a 70-year-old father has eight times as many altered genes. Scientists suggest that the reason for this is the peculiarities of the generation of spermatozoa, which begin to mutate in the process of division of progenitor cells. A woman already at birth has a set of eggs that is consumed during her life, so mutations do not affect them over time.
The head of the study, John McGrath, a worker at Queensland University, noted that the project had a goal, to explain to people that if they become parents after 40 years, this may not be very good for the health of their unborn child. The male organism produces sperm throughout its life and in the case of conception, the health of the baby depends heavily on the age of the father. Although scientists do not completely exclude the risks associated with the health of the mother at the time of conception.
It was also found that the daughter of an elderly father increases the chances of being born with a diagnosis of autism. Moreover, the sons of the probability of autism, although a little less, but still there. In addition, scientists have found that childbirth at a young age is also unsafe for the health of the child. Too young age of the mother has a bad effect on the mental abilities of the unborn child. Scientists attribute this to the great stress borne by the young mother, since most of the girls were not ready for maternity, which is why they were very upset. Studies showed that more than 40% of young women suffered from severe prenatal depression, which was a violation of brain development in the fetus. And late delivery, according to the results of research by American scientists, reduces the risk of malignant tumors in women.
Earlier studies found that the risk of mental disorders in the elderly father does not increase if it is not his first child, and in Iceland, experts have revealed that the elderly father passes on to his offspring a large number of gene mutations that are not characteristic of any of the parents.
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