This may 9, the actor, Robert De Niro, announced that he welcomed his seventh child at the age of 79 years. But until what age can a man conceive a baby? Explanations.
- At 79, Robert De Niro has become a dad for the seventh time.
- From the age of 45, men would have fertility problems.
- After this age, they also put their partner at greater risk (gestational diabetes, premature births) and their baby (chromosomal congenital anomalies, autism, cancers).
“I just had a baby.” This was revealed by Robert De Niro in an interview with Entertainment Tonight (ET) Canada. While promoting his upcoming film My Father and Me, the 79-year-old American actor corrected the journalist, who recalled that he was the proud father of six children. “I have seven, in fact”, he specified.
Her first two children, Drena and Raphael are currently 51 and 46 years old. In 1995, he also became the father of twins, Aaron and Julian. Then, son Elliot, 25, and daughter Helen, 11, were born. “My kids don’t always agree with me, but they’re respectful. My daughter, who’s 11, sometimes gives me a hard time and I argue with her. I love her, but you know…And my youngest, now it’s still to come. But that’s the way it is”, said the actor.
Being a father after 45 would entail risks for mother and child
Although men can conceive much longer than women, they also have their own biological clock. From the age of 45, they would have fertility problems, according to a study published in the journal Maturias. As part of this work, researchers from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (USA) reviewed cohorts on the effects of parental age on fertility, pregnancy and child health.
According to the results, men having a child after 45 could put their partner at greater risk. “The data suggests a decrease in fertility and an increase in pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth.” In addition, babies of fathers 45 and older are at increased risk of chromosomal and non-chromosomal birth defects, and they are more likely to develop autism and cancers as they grow up.
‘Most men don’t realize their advanced age can have an impact’ on conception
“Although it is widely accepted that the physiological changes that occur in women after 35 can affect conception, pregnancy and the health of the child, most men do not realize that their advanced age can have a similar impact”, said Gloria Bachmann, author of the research. Thus, the team recommends that doctors advise older men as they would advise an older woman about the effects of age on conceiving a child.
