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Delayed fatherhood may lead to longer lived children/grandkids
- bwooceli 14y agoI have my doubts, don't feel this takes proper account of cause->effect vs. relationship. Doesn't go into WHY fathers "choose" to have kids later in life, so things like economics, accumulated wealth providing easier access to healthcare and a lifestyle that supports longer life span. Also the autism bit is as much a function of the mother's age too, so did they compare old guys with young wives autism rates vs. same-aged couples?
- debacle 14y agoDid you even read the article? It was about genetics. This is a scientific study not a sociological study.
- michaelfeathers 14y agoThis is odd. I thought I remembered reading someplace that telemore length was longer for children of younger mothers also.
- CodeCube 14y agoHad my kids when I was 20 and 23 ... they're healthy. All that matters.
- jamska 14y agoI forget where I read it (The Selfish Gene?) but Richard Dawkins predicted that life expectancy would increase as people had children later.
- JPKab 14y agoAs a 30 year old with a 5 year old son, I question what this does to the life expectancy of the father. :) I don't know how older dads do it. My kid wears me out at my current age. I suppose I'd be a much richer first-time parent if I delayed having kids, so I'd have more help, more baby sitting, nicer vacations, etc.
- simulate 14y agoReminds me a bit of Methuselah's Children. Also this article seems to support the theory of Lamarckian Inheritance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism I'm 47 years old with a 3 year old son. When my boy is my age, I will be 91, older than his only living great grand-father. Or, more likely, I'll be dead. It makes sense to have more than one kid if you are an old first-time parent so your kids have family around after you are dead or very elderly.