Al Pacino at 83, Robert De Niro, at 79, become fathers: Do dads' age affect their children?

Hollywood star Al Pacino is reportedly expecting a baby with his 29-year-old partner Noor Alfallah. As per a TMZ report, Alfallah is eight months pregnant. The 83-year-old actor already has three children from his two previous relationships – a 33-year-old daughter, Julie Marie, with his ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant and 22-year-old twins Anton and Olivia with his former partner Beverly D’Angelo.The report of Pacino becoming a father at an older age comes just days after it was revealed that his The Irishman co-star Robert De Niro welcomed his seventh child at the age of 79.The duo has joined the list of celebrities, including musicians like Mick Jagger and Billy Joel, that have gone on to embrace fatherhood later in life.But are there risks involved in becoming a father at an older age? Let's take a look.How men’s age affects offspringThere have been multiple studies to show how a woman’s age impacts the health of her child. However, little research has been done about the pros or cons of becoming a father at an advanced age.A 2015 study published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology found “disturbing links between increased paternal age and rising disorders in their offspring”.According to the study, as a man’s age increases, the risk of autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and childhood leukaemia becomes more in the offspring.Another study published in the journal BMJ claimed that children of men aged 45-54 are 14 per cent more susceptible to premature birth and low birth weight, as compared to the progeny of fathers in the 25-34 age group.[caption id="attachment_12673332" align="alignnone" width="640"] Al Pacino with his three children Anton, Olivia and Julie Marie. Reuters File Photo[/caption]The 2018 BMJ study’s lead author Michael Eisenberg explained how paternal age affects the health of a child. Speaking to WebMD, he said that DNA mutations accumulated in old age could be one of the factors.In the case of older men, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise are also likely to impact their baby's health. “It often takes older men longer to impregnate a woman, for example, while obesity and physical inactivity appear to degrade semen quality, Eisenberg was quoted as saying by WebMD.Citing a 2019 study, Medical News Today reported that “men over 45 are more likely to father children with birth abnormalities, low birth weight, and a low Apgar score — a measure of the baby’s general health at birth”.ALSO READ: 83-year-old Al Pacino announces pregnancy with 29-year-old girlfriend Noor AlfallahRisks begin after 40According to Dr Paul Turek, a men’s health and fertility urologist, the risks for men start at “40 or maybe even 50 or 60 and then [risks] rapidly rise after 60”, reported NBC News.Dr Brian A Levine, the founding partner and practice director of CCRM New York told NBC News that making a healthy child depends on several factors like “age of the mother, the father and the uterine environment”.

Fertility falls in men as well as women as they age.

While some men can keep producing sperm until they die, there are chances of more birth abnormalities in the case of ageing men.“One of the main risks that we see a lot of at the moment is the DNA fragmentation,” Dr Bryan Woodward, a consultant reproductive scientist at the X&Y fertility clinic, told The Independent.“As you get older, we know that the DNA starts to fragment in sperm – so it’s not just in female fertility that you get a decline, you also get a decline in male fertility,” Dr Woodward added.Sometimes issues in the offspring who have older fathers are seen as they grow up.[caption id="attachment_12673372" align="alignnone" width="640"] Offspring of older fathers are more at risk of certain disorders. Pixabay (Representational Image)[/caption]“Sperm is made new every three months, but when the system is ageing there can be errors,” Dr Turek was quoted as saying by NBC News.“These errors tend to easily get through quality control system [of the uterine environment] without causing miscarriage and can cause debilitating diseases in offspring like hemophilia, dwarfism and progeria”.“Some of these are not picked up natally but [present] as children get older or become adults. Sometimes with older men you’ll see a successful childbirth and even a healthy child and then the issues hit,” Dr Turek explained.Dr John Parrington, of the University of Oxford, said that while studies show that the progeny of older dads may be more at risk of genetic disease, the link is “very subtle” and it should not dissuade ageing men from having children.Moreover, not everything is dismal if you decide to have a child at a later age.According to Dr Turek, older fathers and their children are likely to live longer.“The good thing about being an older dad is that you tend to live longer, and you certainly have lots of young reasons to,” he told NBC News.“Your offspring also tends to live longer. We’re evolving a lot more rapidly and this system is trying to help us live longer, which is a plus for both the older dad and his child."With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.