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Home › Articles › Autism › Older Dads and Autism

Older Dads and Autism

Does Paternal Age
Increase the Risk?

By Teri Brown

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Though the study doesn't pinpoint a cause for autism, it does raise some interestingquestions. Does paternal age really increase the risk of autism and is it, as the authors of the study state, possibly because of spontaneous mutations in sperm-producing cells or alterations in genetic imprinting?

Dr. Bennett Leventhal, director of the Center for Child Mental Health and Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Illinois, Chicago, has read the study and found it very interesting. "It would sure suggest that advanced paternal age is a 'risk factor' for the later development of autism," Dr.Leventhal says. "However, as they point out at the end of the paper, there are potential problems from concluding definitively that this plays a causal role. And, just because we know of a risk factor, we do not know what role it actually plays in causality or if it is just a correlational finding."

What the Study Means
Dr.Leventhal is also quick to point out that it is important to remember that the vast majority of men over 40 who father a child do not have a child with autism. He believes this is a matter to be discussed with families and that men who have a family history of autism should carefully consider this matter.

"This is one of many leads, but, as the authors point out, men over 40 have an increased risk of fathering children with other illnesses," Dr.Leventhal says. "So it is equally possible that thisis a non-specific risk. Those of us doing autism research will keep this in mind. It is important but not groundbreaking."

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