Chapter 5: Prenatal Development
Paternal Factors
Paternal Factors
The age of fathers at the time of conception is also an important factor in health risks for children. Although the definition of advanced paternal age is unclear, it appears that there are increased risks after age 35, including miscarriage, preterm birth, and low Apgar score (Zhang et al., 2022). These increased health risks are thought to be due to accumulated chromosomal aberrations and mutations during the maturation of sperm cells in older men. However, similar to advanced age women, the overall risks are small.
