Children of men over 40 have increased risk of autism

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Older fathers are more likely to have a child with autism, according to a new study.
Autism is a poorly understood condition characterized by social and language problems and behavioral deficiencies. Fifty children in every 10,000 are affected by autism (compared to just five two decades ago). The reasons for this increase are not well known, but it might be because there is more awareness of autism these days. On the other hand, there may also be a genuine rise in the condition.

Previous work has suggested that perhaps parental age may affect the brain development of children. Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine now report the first study on the effect of paternal age on the incidence of autism. They looked at children born in Israel in the 1980s, who were assessed by the draft board at age 17. This would identify psychiatric disorders. The study collected information on psychiatric status and paternal age for 318,506 individuals (maternal age was available for 132,271 individuals).

The findings suggested that increasing paternal age was linked to increased risk of autism. Those born to fathers over 40 had a six times increased risk of autism compared to those whose fathers were 29 or younger. The researchers suggest that mutations in aging sperm cells may be responsible for the increased incidence of autism among those who have older fathers. But socio-economic factors, which make the chance of being born to an older father more likely, may also play a role.

Source
Archives of General Psychiatry September 2006 Volume 63 pages 1026-1032

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