Does dad's age affect a child's IQ?
A few months ago a study was published that indicated kids born to older dads face a higher chance of developing bipolar disorder.
Apparently children with older dads may have lower IQs, too.
In a study conducted by researchers in Australia, researchers looked at data from intelligence tests taken by 33,437 children born in the U.S. between 1959 and 1965. The tests were conducted at various points in time and measured their "ability to think and reason, including concentration, learning, memory, speaking and reading skills."
Based on this data, the researchers claim children with older dads had low test scores. According to Dr. John McGrath from the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and the study's lead researcher, more mutations occur in men's sperm as they age, and those mutations could impact brain development.
However, kids with older moms had higher test scores, perhaps because older moms offer a "more nurturing, attentive home environment."
The study will appear in the March issue of the online journal PLoS Medicine.
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