Abstract
This study examined the association between paternal age and a wide range of structural birth defects. Data were drawn from
The California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, a population-based active surveillance system for collecting information
on infants and fetuses with defects born between 1989 and 2002. The analysis included 46,114 cases with defects, plus a random
sample of 36,838 non-malformed births. After adjustment for maternal age, risks of anomalies of the nervous system for 38
and 42 year-old fathers, as compared to 29 year-old fathers, were 1.05-fold [1.00, 1.11] and 1.10-fold [1.02, 1.18] higher,
respectively. Similar results were observed for anomalies of the limbs, where 38 and 42 year-old fathers had a 1.06-fold [1.02,
1.11] and 1.11-fold [1.05, 1.18] higher risk, respectively. Risks of anomalies of the integument were 1.05-fold [1.00, 1.09]
and 1.10-fold [1.03, 1.16] higher for 38 and 42 year olds, respectively. Young paternal age, i.e., less than 29 years, was
associated with an increased risk of amniotic bands (OR: 0.87 [0.78, 0.97]), pyloric stenosis (OR: 0.93 [0.90, 0.96]) and
anomalies of the great veins (OR: 0.93 [0.87, 1.00]). In sum, both advanced and young paternal age was associated with select
birth defects in California between 1989 and 2002.
The California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, a population-based active surveillance system for collecting information
on infants and fetuses with defects born between 1989 and 2002. The analysis included 46,114 cases with defects, plus a random
sample of 36,838 non-malformed births. After adjustment for maternal age, risks of anomalies of the nervous system for 38
and 42 year-old fathers, as compared to 29 year-old fathers, were 1.05-fold [1.00, 1.11] and 1.10-fold [1.02, 1.18] higher,
respectively. Similar results were observed for anomalies of the limbs, where 38 and 42 year-old fathers had a 1.06-fold [1.02,
1.11] and 1.11-fold [1.05, 1.18] higher risk, respectively. Risks of anomalies of the integument were 1.05-fold [1.00, 1.09]
and 1.10-fold [1.03, 1.16] higher for 38 and 42 year olds, respectively. Young paternal age, i.e., less than 29 years, was
associated with an increased risk of amniotic bands (OR: 0.87 [0.78, 0.97]), pyloric stenosis (OR: 0.93 [0.90, 0.96]) and
anomalies of the great veins (OR: 0.93 [0.87, 1.00]). In sum, both advanced and young paternal age was associated with select
birth defects in California between 1989 and 2002.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s10995-011-0759-z
- Authors
- Jagteshwar Grewal, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
- Suzan L. Carmichael, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
- Wei Yang, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
- Gary M. Shaw, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
- Journal Maternal and Child Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-6628
- Print ISSN 1092-7875