When it comes to biological clocks and fertility most believe it pertains only to women. Not so say reproductive endocrinologists. A woman’s fertility wanes with age and the viability of the eggs produced in a women over 40 years of age is less. New research indicates that men over the age of 45 have a higher chance of producing children with a host of health problems, from mental to genetic disorders.
When it comes to fertility, a man’s sperm also has an “expiration date” in that the mutations in a man’s sperm, those that cause health conditions and birth defects, goes up in an older man’s sperm. Conditions such as downs syndrome, ADHD, bipolar or schizophrenia are possible. Social scientists in Sweden also noted that children born to older parents are more likely to experiment with drugs, struggle academically and may suffer from depression leading to suicide. However, you shouldn’t rush out to put your sperm on ice just yet. Learn more about a man’s biological clock, fertility, and what it can really mean if you and your partner are trying to become pregnant.
Should Men Freeze, or Bank, Their Sperm for Later Use?
A Columbia University researcher challenged the Swedish infertility findings stating that while it increases the likelihood of a health problem, the risk factor for that happening is still quite low. However, his research focused solely on bipolar disorder, not on other health concerns. So what does that mean if you are facing infertility issues? One of the first things your reproductive endocrinologist (RE) will want to do is test sperm count and motility. Motility tests how well the sperm are able to move around. In an older man, the sperm tend to move slower, which can be problematic. Sperm have a limited time to find and penetrate the egg. After that they die. Sperm that cannot swim well, or lose their direction, don’t accomplish the task.
While male infertilityresearch isn’t completely conclusive and there are many studies ongoing, and recently concluded, many men are opting to freeze their sperm for their own peace of mind. That is not an inexpensive endeavor, starting at $500-1000 just to open a sperm bank account, and then a yearly maintenance fee thereafter. Because of this practice as well as men waiting until later to start their families, the number of men fathering children in their mid to late 40s and 50s has gone up as much as 25%.
Infertility, IVF Treatments and Sperm Viability
A man’s sperm supply is constantly refreshed. In other words, while a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have, a man’s sperm is replenished frequently. During this time a man’s sperm will change slightly at least twice or more a year. These mutations double every 16 ½ years leading scientists to believe that this may hold the key to understanding the correlation between the increase in cases of autism and the number of children born to older fathers since 2012.
However, these changes or mutations can often be very benign, and researchers caution men from becoming too paranoid about them. Still, it raises interesting considerations if you are considering IVF treatments. Semen quality declines with age, volume reduces and even the shape of the sperm changes. All of these can make it difficult to get pregnant. However, once certain infertility conditions are identified, there are a few things that can be done.
IVF medications and the procedures are not inexpensive and spending a lot of money going through IVF only to find out that the embryo has birth defects can be devastating. Also consider the recent findings of a study done between 2007-2016 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 40 million live births were tracked for this study and they concluded the following:
- There was a 15% higher risk of premature birth.
- There was an 18% risk of a seizure disorder.
- Admission to a neonatal care unit was 14% more likely.
- At least 9% required antibiotics.
- A 28% increased risk of gestational diabetes for the mother.
Successful IVF Treatments After Age 40: What You Should Know
Most doctors will not tell a man he should not engage in an IVF treatment with his partner simply based on age. However, if you are considering IVF for infertility issues, men should keep in mind that just like women, there is a ticking biological clock. There is no unlimited runway for men. For many years the age of the woman was the only consideration when it came to IVF, but now paternal age matters too. A man’s age, and his biological clock, needs to be a larger part of the fertility conversation. Couple that fact with the only 10% chance of a woman over the age of 40 getting pregnant and you’re fighting an uphill battle.
The success of IVF treatments, and the use of fertility medications, goes down exponentially when age is factored in. While IVF does offer older women a chance at starting a family, IVF still has not been able to overcome all infertility issues arising from age. In fact, the oldest mother to use her own eggs and successfully utilize IVF treatments and IVF drugs was only 46 years old.
Using donor eggs, or freezing eggs at an earlier age for later use is a game changer for many women, and when coupled with sperm that was also frozen at an earlier and more viable time, the IVF success rates increase for older mothers. The national IVF success rate in this scenario are at an impressive 50%. This is because using younger sperm and a younger egg for IVF allows a woman up to age 55 to successfully become pregnant and have a successful live birth.
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