Choose to become a father before you are 40

Men should think about becoming fathers much before 40 years in order to minimize the effects of age on fertility and outcomes of pregnancy. The ideal age to become a father is between 25-35 years, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee,  Dr. KK Aggarwal and President Heart Care Foundation of India.

The age of sperm donors as per recommendations should be less than 40 years of age. Beyond this age, the sperm quality is reduced considerably and this may adversely affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Researchers from the French National Institute for Medical Research has reported that miscarriages rates were higher in women whose partners were older than 40 years when compared to women whose partners are young men. This risk doubled when their partners were 45 years of age.

Older fathers are more likely to have a child with schizophrenia, heart defects, cleft lip, Down syndrome or a child being born autistic
are higher if the age of the father is more than 40.

In women, pregnancy after 35 years of age is generally regarded as high risk with greater chances of birth defects and miscarriages. But, according to the researchers, the age of the male should also be taken into consideration by gynecologists.