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Besides Mother's Age, Father's Age also Affects Baby's Health

During this time, the age of the mother is often in the spotlight, starting from the age of marriage, pregnancy, until giving birth. Women's fertility is also considered to decrease with age. In fact, the age of the prospective father also affects the health of the baby in the womb until birth. People often assume men will continue to be fertile, because sperm continues to be produced until old age. This is considered different from women who eventually experience menopause. Even so, a number of health risks to the fetus and newborn are also associated with father's age.

Effects of Father's Age and Baby's Health Conditions

The number of sperm produced by men at the age of 25 or 50 years may not be much different, but the quality certainly changes. At the age of 40 years, in addition to a decrease in the quality of sperm, testosterone levels will also decrease, so that men will find it difficult to have sex regularly. In addition, father's age over 40 years is associated with a number of risks of pregnancy and fetal complications following:
  • Miscarriages and babies die in the womb.
  • Babies are born prematurely and have a low weight.
  • Congenital abnormalities.
  • Children experience autism and impaired brain and mental development.
  • Babies have Down syndrome.
  • The child has acute lymphoblastic leukemia or blood cancer.
  • The child has type 1 diabetes.
The above risks will increase with age of the prospective father. This is believed because in older fathers, ie above 50 years, there is an increased risk of genetic mutations in sperm. In addition, Father's age can also affect the health of Mother during pregnancy. Pregnant women whose partners are over 45 years are more likely to suffer from gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. This is thought to be due to an increased risk of abnormalities of the placenta due to fertilization by a sprema from men whose age is quite advanced.

Tips for Having a Child at a Ripe Age

If you are just planning to have a child at the age that is no longer young, there are some tips that can be done to have healthy children, namely:
  • Implement a healthy diet with balanced nutrition. This can maintain the health of the prospective father and indirectly maintain the health of the fetus.
  • Stop smoking, because the content of substances in cigarettes can reduce sperm quality.
  • Limiting alcohol consumption. Consuming excessive amounts of alcoholic drinks will reduce the quality of sperm.
  • Keep the pubic area cool. Conditions that are too warm pubic area can damage sperm.
  • Manage stress in a positive way. This is because a calm and comfortable state of mind also makes intercourse work better.
It is important to know the various risks that can arise if the prospective father is old. Even so, do not be discouraged, because that does not mean pregnancy can not take place smoothly and the child can not be born healthy. Do the tips above and consult with your doctor when planning a pregnancy.

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