Advanced Paternal Age

It has become common knowledge that women's fertility declines with age. It's also been assumed that men have no similar "biological clock." Scientists are learning more about how that assumption is incorrect.

In fact, it appears as though men, too, may need to start thinking about biological parenthood well before they turn 40.

The impact of age for men is about more than just fertility. Evidence shows that older men have greater chances of fathering offspring who are at higher risk for birth defects and developmental disorders.

Age and Fatherhood

Over time, men and women both experience naturally occurring decreases in the hormones that relate to reproductive function. For men, that adds up to decreased testosterone, DHEA, and estrogen, plus higher FSH and LH.

One study of around 90,000 births concluded that the older a man is when his partner conceives, the more likely she is to miscarry -- even when all of her pertinent reproductive factors, like health and age, are taken into consideration. Another study of 2,000 men published in 2005 indicated that even with IVF treatment, a father's age figures into pregnancy success or failure.

Unlike women, who are born with all the egg cells they'll ever have and promptly start losing them on a regular basis, men's bodies are constantly making new sperm cells. The problem, though, is that time and lifestyle have their impact on the parts that manufacture the cells. The result is more sperm that are impaired in the DNA department. Hence, the pregnancy is at greater risk for miscarriage and any children born have increased chances for problems.

DNA Health: A Special Concern

DNA impacts how a sperm behaves in the getting-pregnant process, as well as how the resulting embryo, fetus, and child will develop. Chromosome damage can occur not only because of aged reproductive function, but also as result of various choices that a man has made in his lifestyle.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, use of legal and illegal drugs, radiation exposure -- these are some of the most common environmental assaults on the integrity of a man's sperm cells. Oxidative damage, too, can cause sperm break down at the DNA level.

The matter of a man's age in regards to reproductive ability is of such concern that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine now recommends sperm donors be men who are "ideally less than 40 years of age to minimize the potential hazards of aging."

Choices With the Future In Mind

Women may or may not be able to impact their egg cell health, but there are choices that men can make toward promoting good functioning sperm cells:

• Avoid steroid use
• Control blood pressure, but be aware that certain blood pressure medications can be detrimental to sperm
• Reduce alcohol intake, especially in the several months prior to conceiving
• Get adequate cardiovascular exercise
• Avoid regular and prolonged exposure of the groin area to sources of high heat, like hot tubs, Jacuzzis, and even laptops
• Avoid exposure to heavy metals, like lead and cadmium, as well as radiation and toxic chemicals, including some pesticides