A discussion about Paternal Age and Health of Children

Will our age gap be something to worry about when we decide to get pregnant?
January 11, 2010 3:57 PM Subscribe
Will our age gap be something to worry about when we decide to get pregnant?


My partner and I, a heterosexual couple, are a decade apart in age, and we expect that this relationship will result in marriage and children. It will be years before I am ready for kids, and I'm concerned that by that time, my partner will be an older-than-average father (I will not be an older mother, due to the age gap), and I've read some research that this could contribute to a higher risk of birth defects.

Is this something we should be seriously concerned with, enough so that I should consider having children sooner? Would it be worth it for our peace of mind to store his sperm now, and forgo natural conception for a more clinical, but less risky conception?
posted by anonymous to health & fitness (25 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite