Paternal Age in Relation to Selected Birth Defects

Document Type

Article

Authors

Anthony P. Polednak, State Department of Health, Albany New York, and Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois

Abstract

The association between paternal age, within six maternal age categories, and malformations reported on birth certificates was studied in 776,642 white, single live births in Upstate New York (1968-73). The association between paternal age and total malformation rate was not statistically significant (chi-square test); in some maternal age groups, however, high malformation rates occurred in the older paternal age groups (55-59 or 60+ years). Specific defect categories with some evidence for dominant inher­itance were analyzed separately. The only statistically significant associa­tion with paternal age was for syndactyly (chi-square test, p<. 05), due largely to a larger-than-expected number of defects in 50-59 year-old fathers. A relatively high frequency of polydactyly was evident in the 60 + year-old fathers (i.e., 4.25 per 1,000, vs. 0.42 per 1,000 overall rate), but the overall association was not statistically significant. Some possible interpretations of the findings are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Polednak, Anthony P. (1976) "Paternal Age in Relation to Selected Birth Defects," Human Biology: Vol. 48: Iss. 4, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol48/iss4/6