Do men have a biological clock? Yes, they do!
As the New York Post reports, a new study out of Rutgers University finds that men have a ticking “biological clock” — just like women — and if they make babies in their 40s it can negatively impact the health of their partners and progeny.
Gloria Bachmann, director of the Women’s Health Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School states:
Guys who start siring spawn later in life put their lovers at risk for increased pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, preterm birth and preeclampsia. Plus, the resulting babies were found to be at higher risk of premature birth, late-term still birth, low Apgar scores and birth weight, higher incidence of newborn seizures and birth defects such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate. As they grew up, the offspring exhibited an increased likelihood of childhood cancers, psychiatric and cognitive disorders, and autism.
This is important information for childbearing women, as having an older partner can affect the health of the baby. In a society that is increasingly delaying marriage and parenthood, this is a reminder that we are all on a biological clock that can't be ignored if we want to bring healthy children into this world. While women are advised to freeze their eggs, it's now recommended that men freeze their sperm before their 35th birthday to lower the risk of complications.