Washington: Men who plan a late marriage and who prefer having children at a later stage need to take a reality check, as children of men aged 40 and older have a significantly increased risk of having autism spectrum disorders, a study has discovered.
According to an article in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, children of older fathers are a higher risk of autism disorders, as compared to children whose fathers are younger than 30 years.
Autism is a disease characterised by social and language abnormalities and repetitive patterns of behavior.
After conducting the research, investigators found that the odds of autism spectrum disorder were nearly six times greater among children of men age 40 and older than those of men 29 years and younger.
Older age among mothers was not associated with autism after researchers factored in the effect of the father's age.
The authors have stated several possible genetic mechanisms for the paternal age effect, including spontaneous mutations in sperm-producing cells or alterations in genetic "imprinting," which affects gene expression.
"It is important to keep in mind, however, that age at paternity is influenced by the sociocultural environment and varies across societies and over time," the authors said.
"In a given population, a change in the socio-cultural environment could produce a change in paternal age at birth. In theory, it could thereby lead to a change in the incidence of genetic causes of autism," they added.
The researchers concluded by saying that although further work is necessary to confirm this interpretation, they believe that the study provides the first convincing evidence that advanced paternal age is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder.
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