The potential risk when you start having children after 35 years

Men who decide to become fathers after the age of 35 face the possibility of having children who are born prematurely or with autism.

Also, every year that goes by, male reproductive sperm decreases significantly in quantity and quality, something that can endanger their ability to continue the generation.

This has been determined by several studies conducted in recent years, including a study conducted by the faculty of medicine at Stanford University, in the United States, which evaluated data from more than 40 million births.

Regarding fertility and information (few known) related to this information, the good news is that there are recommendations, tests and therapy that can closely monitor and reduce the risk to your newborn.

Doctor Karla Giusti Zacharias, a specialist in human reproduction and a member of the medical team at Rede D'Or - São Luiz Itaim Hospital in São Paulo, explains that he regularly receives men in his office who would like to have children. .

"I receive patients in their 50s and 60s who are married to young women who want to get pregnant," he says. The question they ask to those who treat them is that: what are the dangers of an elderly father? In general, a man's reproductive system behaves quite differently from a woman's.

While women have a limited number of reproductive cells, in men sperm production - which begins at puberty - continues throughout their lives.

And this is where an important point emerges: although sperm production does not stop, the quality of this process is not the same after a certain age.

As the years go by, the reality is that these cells are produced at a smaller rate and become more defective.

These defects, as a result, can prevent conception. Some studies show that even when they succeed in being able to conceive, the baby is at risk of frequent health problems ranging from defects in the respiratory system to autism.

A study conducted in 2018 by the Stanford University of Medicine revealed that in general, the older a man is, the more likely the child is to be born with health defects.

Men who have children after the age of 35, have a higher chance of their children being born with low body weight, having epilepsy, or needing to be ventilated shortly after birth.

 People over the age of 45 are 14% more likely to have babies born prematurely, and those over the age of 50 are 28% more likely to have their babies need to be placed in an intensive care unit emergency (Intensive care unit) for a while.

In the same publication, Michael Eisenberg, professor of obstetrics and head of the study, notes that the number should not be interpreted as something alarming. He says, the results of this study are expected to help families plan better and monitor their reproductive health as much as they should.

In conclusion, the study notes that, for every 10 years of increase in the father's age, there is a 21% additional chance that the child will suffer from disorders, related to difficulties in communication, social and behavioral interactions.

Science still does not know why this happens.

 But despite the decrease in the quality of male reproductive sperm and its number, the issue is the strength of the reproductive cell system and one of them is being able to conceive, reducing health risks. of the child, explains Alfredo Canalini, president of the Brazilian association of obstetricians.

 Mr. Canalini emphasizes that there is no possibility of avoiding the effects of late fatherhood.

"The biology of the female reproductive system depends on the individual and a man needs a doctor's advice to understand what is going on and what should be done," he says.

Men who want to be elderly fathers should weigh the weight of raising a child.

The consultation involves a general practitioner or obstetrician.

This assessment can be done once, every year, when there are certain symptoms, such as unusual irritability, difficulty in getting sexual desire or experiencing that desire for a short period of time as well as failure to conceive.

Zacharia reminds us that when we see small changes in our lifestyle, it is possible to start certain tests and treatments.