David Letterman, Ricky Martin, Jay-Z, Alec Baldwin and George Clooney all have one thing in common: They all had a child after the age of 40.
And they are not the only ones.
Because of an increase in older dads, the average age of a father has increased three years to 30.9.
But do you know all the risks that come with it?
Each year, 4 million little girls or little boys are born in the U.S. That’s 8 million little feet, 40 million tiny fingers and 40 million tiny toes, but the one number most parents don’t think about: the age of the father when that baby is born.
A recent Stanford study showed babies born to fathers over the age of 35 were at higher risk for low birth weight, seizures and need for ventilation.
If the father is over the age of 45, the babies have a 14% higher chance of going into the NICU.
Futurity.org suggests considering a sperm bank before men turn 35. Also, as you age, so does your sperm, so keep up a healthy lifestyle through exercise, eating right, low caffeine and minimal alcohol consumption.
“The offspring who were from dads who exercised and were fed a high-fat diet had improved metabolic health compared with those who were fed a high-fat diet," said Kristin Stanford, a physiologist at The Ohio State University.
But it’s not all bad news. According to verywellfamily.com, some of the benefits of being an older father include financial security, being able to spend more time with your child, being able to share more life experience and having more patience.