Dear Dr G,

I am a 66-year-old man starting a new relationship. Despite entering my later years, I refuse to slow down and engage in my career and exercise regularly to stay healthy.

Like many people today, I was invited to play pickleball. To my surprise, I love the game, and I’ve caught the love bug with a young lady 30 years my junior.

The relationship has been going well for six months. We are even discussing having a child together. I must confess, we are sexually active and often do not use contraception, yet she is not pregnant.

Concerned, I consulted doctors to assess my fertility and the risks of fathering a child at my age. I was discouraged by a gynaecologist who highlighted concerns about the risks to the child due to my paternal age, despite my girlfriend being healthy.

I value your opinion, Dr G. Does sperm quality deteriorate with age? What are the chances of fathering a child in one’s sixties and beyond? What risks exist for a woman in her thirties and forties having a baby? Similarly, what risks are there to the child when a man of my age fathers a child?

Surely everyone has heard of how Mick Jagger continues to father children at his age without challenges, as I aspire to breed like him.

Regards,

Breeding Brat

The most significant prognostic factor in pregnancy is a woman’s age.

Egg quality diminishes over time, and by 43, the egg supply dwindles. Even with Assisted Reproductive Technology, successful pregnancy rates for women at 44 are around 1.6%.

Advancing maternal age increases risks to both mother and child, including diabetes, placenta previa, and preeclampsia for the mother. The child faces risks of genetic disorders, low birth weight, premature delivery, and miscarriage. Miscarriage rates for women at 40 can be as high as 34%, rising to 53% by 45.

While male fertility declines with age, older men can still father children into their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Unlike women, who experience menopause, men typically produce sperm throughout life. However, recent studies highlight risks associated with older fathers.

The offspring of men over 40 face increased risks of miscarriage, autism, and birth defects. Though the overall risk is low, older men are more likely to father children with disorders like achondroplasia. Children of older fathers are also more prone to mental health issues such as schizophrenia, ADHD, and depression. Studies also suggest offspring of older fathers may face male infertility in the future.

Despite statistics against having children at an older age, most babies are born healthy with prenatal screening technology. Indeed, Mick Jagger, at 73, announced that his 29-year-old girlfriend Melanie Hamrick gave birth to a healthy child.

Although Mick Jagger is well-known for fathering children at advanced ages, other celebrities have followed suit. Al Pacino fathered a son at 83 with Noor Alfallah in 2023. Robert De Niro became a father again at 79 in 2023, welcoming a daughter with girlfriend Tiffany Chen.

At 73, Charlie Chaplin also had his youngest child, fathering 11 children in total. Rod Stewart seemed young when he became a father for the eighth time at 66 in 2011.

While science makes late fatherhood possible, it raises ethical and practical questions about whether a father can actively parent and support the child into adulthood. How will the child cope with the potential loss of a parent at a young age? What societal support systems exist for elderly fathers and their families?

When a man of”certain seniority” faces potential parenthood again, should he leap in joy or shiver in fear?

In response, Dr G says that “it’s all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back.”

Some ageing men aspire to breed like Mick Jagger, and the same principle applies: letting go is fine if one has the stamina and will to regain life after parenthood!