[FMNN]Study: Older Fathers Bring Higher Autism Risk <br />

[Kat]

Men who become fathers in their 40s or older are much more likely to have autistic children than younger dads, a new study released Monday shows.

http://www.Freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=20309

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[John Dailey]

~ Guess I'll skip that 'underground-Mormon' polygamy meeting. Statistical arguments for off-springing THAT kind of result show 'productivity' which no one needs to deal with, when avoidable.

LLAP

J:D

[mweiss]

Men who become fathers in their 40s or older are much more likely to have autistic children than younger dads, a new study released Monday shows.

http://www.Freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=20309

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Being an older dad myself, this raises some concerns about how to identify the more subtle symptoms of autism. I have a 2 year old girl. Although I still look pretty young for my age, a number of strangers have mistaken my wife for my daughter, that is, prior to the birth of our child, so there is quite an age difference between myself and my wife.

Our daughter seems pretty normal, but either due to isolation from other children (we have no friends with children her age and we don't have money for daycare) she seems rather wrapped up in herself, self-centered. She is starting to speak a little here and there, but often times resorts to some sort of babble that neither my wife nor myself can understand. I wasn't too concerned about my child's development until last year, a mother and her 1 year old daughter were out by the street as we passed by with my daughter in the carriage and the 1 year old said "Hi baby" as we drew near. The kid didn't have any hair yet, but was speaking clear English. Ever since then, I have wondered about this.

Usually, the doctors prefer to do some sort of a blood test on the father over a certain age, before conceiving a child, but we just went ahead not thinking about this.

I was wondering if there is any source of information on early detection. I just want to make sure that we don't have a problem developing, or that we can deal with it early on and have the best chance of a normal life for our little girl.