How old is too old for a man to father a child?

Question

I have read a lot of articles lately about the risks to children of older fathers. Women have talking about freezing their eggs. Maybe men should freeze semen in their 20s and early 30s.

I'm talking about genetic risks from broken sperm with mutations caused by dividing so many times. 100 cell divisions at puberty and about 880 at age 50.

I have read that 26.6% of schizophrenia is caused by older fathers. Rachee ga and esmeralda are blessed.

Answer 1

Well, my dad was 62 when I was born - no joke! There was a conductor (I think so anyway) who fathered a child in his 70s. I am healthy and have had not any adverse effects due to my dad's age lol.

I've been checking out other people's answers. Even though my dad was 62 when I was born, he's been a very active part of my life. Like when I was younger, he would always take my sister and I to the beach. He still is now and celebrated his 88th birthday last weekend. He still works as a doctor in a university hospital and swims every weekend. :) I realize he is probably an exception to the rule on this. His sister was also very active up to the point when she died last year at the ripe old age of 94.

Answer 2

It ain't ever the years, honey, it's the mileage. Men make new, viable sperm well into their 70's. Many men have no problem with having an erection well into their 70's. Other men are already having erection problems by the time they are 30. Women, on the other hand, are born with all the eggs they will ever have. One matures every month from the time she is about 13, until she is about 52. Her chances of having a non-normal child increase significantly after 30, even more significantly after 40, and few women produce a good egg after 50. However, the uterus can still carry a fetus to term even if she is in her 60's, with a donor egg, and invitro fertilization. There are instances where a grandmother carried her own grandchild to term because her daughter had her uterus removed for some reason. It isn't common, but interestingly, it can be done. So, honey, 41 is not old. He'll be a great dad......

Answer 3

Genetics and all this science stuff is sometimes just a shot in the dark, and obviously is not always the rule. I agree with alot of the other folks, older folks-say age 50+ shouldn't really be having kids for the fact that alot of them won't be around to do things with their kids. I had a few friends in high school that had older parents who died before they even got to graduate. That's really sad, and hard on a kid during an already difficult time in growing up.

By the way, my parents had a baby when my mom was 43 and dad was 45. I wasn't too crazy about the idea, and still think they shouldn't have even been trying. But, at the same time, I love my little sister like she was my own child.

Answer 4

I've always thought that after 45, you're too old to be a quality father to any child you may create. Think about it. When that child is ten, you'll be 55, when they're 20, you'll be 65 - and if you're older when they're born the numbers increase accordingly! You'll have been an older man their entire conscious life! Can you offer them the sort of fatherly interaction a younger man could offer? If you have a son, could you play sports with him, teach him the things a father teaches him?

Biologically speaking, though, the older a man gets the likelihood for birth defects increases, and if your wife is also an older woman the likelihood for birth defects becomes much higher. I imagine a man should consider not fathering more children after the age of 55. But that's just what I've observed.

Answer 5

I see that young folks still think that they know everything...The last two or three generations have no way to criticize older fathers! Most of them have experimented with drugs that damage their reproduction ability and they also have older fathers! It should be obvious that conception is a personal choice, not only on the part of one person, but of a couple. A society that encourages age discrimination while also encouraging divorce (which causes the most damage to childhood of any detrimental influence) is a stupid society that should not be allowed to judge. Last time I checked a married couple, or according to today's society, any couple of legal age can conceive. You take a risk every time you wake up. So, wake up!

Answer 6

My husband was 57 when our son was born. My son is 12 now. Was he too old? Absolutely not!!!. He has coached our son's soccer team, plays basketball with our son, and is a very active man. He still works full-time and does volunteer work. He is a wonderful father and my son adores him. I do not believe that there are as many if any risks from a man fathering a child late in life.

Answer 7

I think 45 should be the oldest a man fathers a child. If he wants to be part of his child's adult life then he needs to realize this. When his dad is too old to play catch or relate to him then there is a problem. If you are just talking about physical risks then probably around 50 i don't know if it works in men like it does women

Answer 8

Well, if you ask me, I think around 50-ish is waay too old. When you're child is twenty you'll be like seventy years old and possibly near death in the next couple of years. I think fathers should want a chance to have time to spend with their children and not have to worry about hurting themselves or being too tired to pay attention and watch their children grow up.

Answer 9

i hate to admit this but it seems to me to be sheer irresponsibility for most older men to father children. i say this loosely because there are men out there who are completely healthy and capable of raising a child. but you must keep in mind that most men are not going to be able to keep being a good father to a child into their 70's and 80's. They just won't be healthy enough to parent the child in the way the child needs to be fathered. that being said, i think after 50 a man or a woman should really take a good look at themselves and decide whether or not it would be a good idea.

Answer 10

A man can be a father at any age, the question is will he be old or young enough to care and supervise his kids activities? to help him develop his skills? to get involved in his son's life? and not just to be an old creep wanting everything done for him.