While maternal health has traditionally been central to research on pregnancy and child development, there is growing recognition that paternal factors also play a role, particularly the father’s age. Several studies have found a modest increase in risk of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, among children born to older fathers. However, the biological mechanisms underlying this association are still not fully understood.
Aging Research
The results of studies revealed in this paper indicate that advanced paternal age increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, potentially due to sperm epigenetic changes.
