Location:
Call: 040 4488 5333
[email protected]

31 March, 2018

Ways in which Paternal Age can affect Fertility

It is a well-known fact that advanced maternal age can increase the chances of infertility or pregnancy related complications. A woman over 35 years of age may find it difficult to bear children. However, advanced maternal age i.e. age of the father can also be a big factor on a couple’s fertility. Advanced age of the male partner may negatively impact fertility, directly and indirectly, including longer time to conceive, decreased sperm quality, and increased risk for miscarriage and birth defects.

What is Advanced Paternal Age?

There is disagreement among experts about the age at which male sperm quality or motility sees a decline. However, most seem to agree that advanced paternal age may refer to male age over 40. After this point, males see a slow, gradual decline in their fertility.

Ways in which Paternal Age can affect Fertility

Several studies have shown that paternal age can cause a decline in fertility. This is mostly due to decrease in the quality and quantity of sperm. The findings of these studies have revealed that:

  • Men over 45 took five times longer to achieve pregnancy as compared to men less than 25
  • During intrauterine insemination (IUI), men less than 35 had double the success rate of men over 35
  • A meta-analysis of male sperm found that increased paternal age was associated with decreased sperm count, decreased sperm motility, abnormal morphology, decreased semen volume and decreased sperm concentration. Sperm motility was also seen to suffer due to increased paternal age.
  • Erectile dysfunction may also increase as the men age. This makes it more difficult for men to have intercourse and in turn, decrease the chances of pregnancy.

Paternal Age and Genetic Disorders

Just like the age of mother, advanced paternal age can significantly increase the risk of genetic disorders such as Down syndrome. As a man ages, his sperm may have undergone thousands of replications. Each replication carries a risk of mutation that could lead to an anomaly. It is believed that 5% of trisomy (Down syndrome) is caused due to paternal factors. If your family has a history of genetic disorders, meet your doctor to discuss genetic testing options.

Paternal Age and Autism

Some studies have shown the relationship between paternal age and autism. Decreased cognitive ability, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder are believed to be the outcomes of advanced paternal age. Here are some findings on the relationship between paternal age and autism spectrum disorder:

  • In a study, when paternal age increased by 10 years, the risk of autism increased by 21%
  • Another study found that children born to men over 40 years of age were at 3.3 times increased risk of developing autism as compared to those born to men under 30.

These findings clearly suggest that paternal age has direct effect on a man’s fertility as he gets into his 40s. It also increases the risk of genetic anomalies, cognitive disabilities and autism. So it is better for both men and as well women to understand the consequences and plan their pregnancy accordingly. Meet our experts at KIMS Cuddles to help plan out your pregnancy.

*Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before taking any decision.

SIMILAR ARTICLES

blog featured image

29 July, 2026

Irregular Periods: When to Investigate

Period irregularity is something many women experience at some point, and most learn to live with it, at least for a while. A late period during a stressful month, a lighter cycle after illness, a missed period after a long flight. These variations are common and usually self-correcting. The problem is that irregular periods are also how the body signals conditions that genuinely need attention, and because the irregularity can feel familiar, it is easy to keep waiting for things to normalise when they never will without proper evaluation.Knowing where the line sits between normal variation and something worth investigating is genuinely useful.What counts as irregularA normal menstrual cycle runs anywhere from 24 to 38 days, measured from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. Variation of up to eight days between the shortest and longest cycle is considered normal. Lengths ranging between 8 and 20 days of variation are considered moderately irregular, and variation of 21 days or more is considered very irregular.Changes outside the cycle length are also irregular. Periods that are either much heavier or lighter than normal, periods that are much longer or shorter than normal, periods between periods, and periods that are absent altogether, in a woman not pregnant, breastfeeding, or in menopause,
Read More
blog featured image

29 July, 2026

Fertility Decline: What Women Should Know

Conversations about fertility tend to happen too late. Women often begin thinking seriously about their reproductive timeline only when they are ready to conceive. At this point, some of the most important biological facts have already been playing out for years without their awareness. The decline in female fertility with age is one of the most consistently misunderstood aspects of reproductive health, and the gap between what women know and what the biology actually shows is significant.This is not about creating anxiety. It is about giving women accurate information early enough to make genuinely informed decisions.The Fundamental BiologyA woman is born with all the eggs she is going to have in her lifetime. Her eggs age with her, decreasing in quality and quantity. Age is the single most important factor affecting a woman's fertility.Females are born with a finite number of oocytes. The number of oocytes peaks in the womb at around 20 weeks of gestation and subsequently declines steadily until approximately age 32, after which the number decreases at a greater rate until age 37, beyond which oocyte numbers drop even more rapidly.This is not something that can be slowed by fitness, diet, or general good health. Even though women today are healthier and taking better care of themselves than ever before, improved
Read More
blog featured image

29 July, 2026

PMOS: Causes Beyond Hormones

Most patients understand Polycystic Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS, as a hormonal condition. Irregular periods, elevated androgens, and ovarian cysts on an ultrasound. The hormonal picture is real, but it is only part of the story. Decades of research have made it increasingly clear that PMOS is far more complex than a hormonal imbalance in isolation. It involves the metabolic system, the immune system, the gut, and genetics, all interacting in ways that produce a condition that looks different in every woman who has it.Understanding the fuller picture of what causes PMOS matters because it changes how the condition is managed and why lifestyle interventions work as well as they do.What PMOS Actually InvolvesPolycystic Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder, typically characterised by hirsutism, hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, menstrual disorders, and infertility. The name itself reflects what the condition truly is. The metabolic component is not secondary to the ovarian and hormonal picture. It is central to it. Treating the hormonal symptoms without addressing the underlying metabolic drivers is one reason PMOS management often produces only partial results.Insulin Resistance Sits at the CentrePMOS insulin resistance, where cells throughout the body fail to respond normally to insulin, is considered the primary pathological basis for the reproductive dysfunction seen in PMOS.
Read More
Loading booking..