A study published in JAMA Psychiatry states that children born to parents over 45 years old are at a higher risk of suffering from psychological disorders in the future .

The relationship between parental age and psychological disorders

The study confirms past research, which stated that there was a link between certain disorders such as autism and children born to elderly parents.

According to data published in this research, children of parents who have had their children past the age of 45 are at increased risk (up to 34 percent) for mental disorders such as bipolarity or schizophrenia.

Furthermore, this study also confirms that, compared to the descendants of young parents, the descendants of parents older than 45 years suffer more academic problems: a low IQ , low academic grades or a low educational level.

The study was conducted between Indiana and Sweden

The research was carried out by Indiana University in the United States, together with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The data used were extracted from Swedish hospitals, and medical records of births produced between 1973 and 2001 were used. A total of 2.6 million participants were counted.

The study compared the data provided by children born to parents over 45 years old and the data provided by descendants of parents between 24 and 29 years old.

Results

This study is not the first to find an association between older parents and mental disorders or educational problems in their children.

The results of the sample of Swedish subjects seem to indicate that there are numerous psychiatric problems and learning difficulties that may be suffered by descendants of elderly parents , including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicide attempts and substance abuse problems or autism.

Among the results obtained, we can highlight that there is a 3.5 times greater possibility of suffering from autism if the parents are over 45 years old when the children are born, 2.5 times greater possibility that the children will develop suicidal behavior or 13 times greater probability of suffering from ADHD.

The causes

Past research has already stated that the aging uterus of a woman over 40 is a risk factor for her children , but this study seems to indicate that sperm from a father over 45 can also have negative consequences for the child’s later development, i.e. the low semen quality of aging parents can affect their children.

As researchers say, men transmit to their children a higher percentage of spontaneous (non-hereditary) mutations that cause future psychological problems and learning disorders. As men get older, they are exposed to more environmental toxins that can lead to DNA changes in their sperm.

Spaniards increasingly delay the age of having children

The social conditions experienced by the population in Spain and the difficulties in leaving the home and becoming independent before the age of 30, mean that the reproductive age of Spaniards has changed in recent years, and many parents have their first child after the age of 30 .

Therefore, despite the fact that delay in the age of procreation is seen as normal, health professionals have raised the alarm on numerous occasions and point out that procreation at a late age has negative consequences for the child.

Bibliographic references:

  • JAMA Psychiatry. 2014 Mar;71(3):301-9. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.4081.