Autism risk higher with older fathers.

[hannamaren]

Interesting.
Maybe you already knew about this?
Anyway, I read that in general there is a lot of genetic problems that can be due to older sperm. It isnt always the woman's age.
And I also read that this may also be why we have seen the increase in autism rates as parents age.

[giantsgirl]

There have been studies out there talking about higher autism (and other issues/birth defects) linked to older fathers for awhile. H is 16years older than I am, so I have done some research on the topic. But, my ob/gyn didn't think that there should be concern until the father is into his 50's. So, we are putting our TTC end point at DH's 49th b'day.

[curbsideprophet]

Yes, I have heard there are increased risks of birth defects and other issues as the father's age increases.

[thatgirl2478]

This is definitely a concern for us as DH is 41 and I'm 34. We'd like a 2nd, but I worry about the quality of his little swimmers (though, DD is perfect at 18 mo).

[Deleted]

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

[ejpint]

That's interesting, about higher ed - do they have any theories as to why? I'd not heard that one before.

[thatgirl2478]

Aug 24, 2012 9:14:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Aug 24, 2012 6:05:47 GMT -5 @septimus said:

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

Yup.

How does education play into Autism (etc)? And where do they draw the line on 'highly educated'? One with BS/A, one with Masters? Both with Masters? PhDs? MDs? JDs? Multiple higher degrees? That one seems SO subjective and hard to prove... Unless the higher the degree you have the more you expect from your kids so you see problems earlier and thus they get diagnosed at a higher rate. I don't think that really equals a chance at having ASD.

[jenny1223]

Aug 24, 2012 9:14:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Aug 24, 2012 6:05:47 GMT -5 @septimus said:

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

Yup.

Do you think it's because highly educated parents are more likely to get a diagnosis?

[thatgirl2478]

Aug 24, 2012 9:51:36 GMT -5 jenny1223 said:

Aug 24, 2012 9:14:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup.

Do you think it's because highly educated parents are more likely to get a diagnosis?

I just googled it, and that's what all the articles I'm seeing are saying. Not that children of the highly educated are MORE LIKELY to develop it, but that their parents are more likely to seek a diagnosis & treat.

[curbsideprophet]

Aug 24, 2012 10:01:51 GMT -5 thatgirl2478 said:

Aug 24, 2012 9:51:36 GMT -5 jenny1223 said:

Do you think it's because highly educated parents are more likely to get a diagnosis?

I just googled it, and that's what all the articles I'm seeing are saying. Not that children of the highly educated are MORE LIKELY to develop it, but that their parents are more likely to seek a diagnosis & treat.

that makes sense that the highly educated are more likely to seek treatment and diagnosis. I would also think there is a good chance that highly educated parents are older.

[h]

Aug 24, 2012 6:05:47 GMT -5 @septimus said:

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

I am aware that older fathers and higher education correlate to higher rates of ASD diagnosis, but a 50% chance seems pretty crazy to me. What educational pedigree gives a couple those odds? I know anecdata is meaningless, but I haven't observed anything approaching a 50% ASD rate among the people I know with elite terminal degrees.

But I know observed austism rates are higher among parents in certain fields of work, so maybe people with PhDs in computer science or engineering have higer rates that doctors, lawyers, PhDs in history, etc. Does anyone know if there has been any research on that?

[SusanBAnthony]

What I have heard about the highly educated thing (no citations to back this up) is that it isn't just parents being smart enough to get a diagnosis, it's also genetics. Mom or dad isn't on the spectrum, but they are a little spectrum-ish, like, let's say they have a super duper interest in electricity (that would be my ds, who is currently in the process of an ASD eval) and then they go on to be an electrical engineering professor, and have a kid who is a bit more severely affected, enough to get a diagnosis.

[h]

Aug 24, 2012 12:05:27 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

What I have heard about the highly educated thing (no citations to back this up) is that it isn't just parents being smart enough to get a diagnosis, it's also genetics. Mom or dad isn't on the spectrum, but they are a little spectrum-ish, like, let's say they have a super duper interest in electricity (that would be my ds, who is currently in the process of an ASD eval) and then they go on to be an electrical engineering professor, and have a kid who is a bit more severely affected, enough to get a diagnosis.

This is what I have always heard as well. I think that speaks to what I was trying to get at earlier--that it seems like the educational field might matter more than just the total amount of education. If this hypothesis is true, it would seem that parental education in a field in which traits associated with ASD could be either an asset or at least not a hindrance (engineering, computer science, chemistry, etc.) would be more likely to increase the odds of offspring with ASD than parental education in a field where it might be more difficult for someone with ASD to thrive.

[spankswife]

What age is "older"? 35? 40? 50?

[kimibrighteyes]

Aug 24, 2012 6:05:47 GMT -5 @septimus said:

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

Bragplaint

[Deleted]

Aug 24, 2012 11:30:44 GMT -5 h said:

Aug 24, 2012 6:05:47 GMT -5 @septimus said:

older fathers and highly educated parents are both factors.

DS's developmental pediatrician said based on our educational pedigree we were probably 50% chance for ASD.

I am aware that older fathers and higher education correlate to higher rates of ASD diagnosis, but a 50% chance seems pretty crazy to me. What educational pedigree gives a couple those odds? I know anecdata is meaningless, but I haven't observed anything approaching a 50% ASD rate among the people I know with elite terminal degrees.

But I know observed austism rates are higher among parents in certain fields of work, so maybe people with PhDs in computer science or engineering have higer rates that doctors, lawyers, PhDs in history, etc. Does anyone know if there has been any research on that?

His comment of 50% was for Harvard/MIT grads so truly the top of the academic spectrum (DH--not me :-))

My friend's son was diagnosed and it is pretty common in Huntsville because of all the engineers there.

[SusanBAnthony]

Yep, DH and I both have engineering degrees, he has a phd. Guess we should have expected this! So so many of my professors were spectrum ish!

[barefootcontessa]

This makes it sound like anyone who is a bit quirky is ASD rather than just different or not typical.

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 24, 2012 12:30:58 GMT -5 barefootcontessa said:

This makes it sound like anyone who is a bit quirky is ASD rather than just different or not typical.

Well, it's a spectrum. The genetics are not well understood at all, but there is definitely a strong genetic component, so it makes sense that a quirky relative who has some characteristics but not enough to meet the DSM would be more likely to have a child who did meet the DSM.