男人也有生殖生物钟：科学家建议35岁前冷冻精子

大家都知道高龄母亲所面临的生育困难和生育风险，但很少有人会去考虑高龄父亲对孩子的影响。

新研究发现，其实男性也有生育年龄极限，高龄父亲不仅生育能力会下降，而且所育的子女患先天性心脏病、自闭症、癫痫等并发症的风险也更高。

那么多少岁会被定义为高龄父亲呢？答案可能会让你大吃一惊。

It’s usually women who are burdened with the biological clock concept, but new research suggests men may also have a time limit on having children.

人们通常认为女性才会被生殖生物钟所累，但新研究指出，男性也有生育年龄极限。

According to a new study published in the journal Maturitas, men should consider banking their sperm before reaching “advanced paternal age”, which has been variably defined as above the age of 35 or 45 in medical fields.

根据发表在《欧洲更年期杂志》期刊上的新研究，男性应考虑在到达“生殖高龄”前冷冻精子，医学界将男性生殖高龄定义为35岁或45岁以上。

This is because men older than this may experience decreased fertility, the study states, and put their female partners at higher risk of a number of pregnancy and birthing complications, such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and preterm birth.

研究指出，这是因为超出生殖高龄的男性生殖能力会下降，并会增加女性伴侣孕期和分娩并发症的风险，比如妊娠糖尿病、先兆子痫和早产。

Additionally, infants born to older fathers may also be at higher risk of a number of conditions, such as congenital heart disease, newborn seizures and low birth weight.

此外，高龄父亲所育的婴儿患上先天性心脏病、新生儿癫痫和出生体重过低等多种疾病的风险也更高。

The study also found that some of these children were more likely to develop certain cancers and cognitive disorders, such as autism.

研究还发现，父亲年龄偏大的一些孩子更容易患上某些癌症和自闭症等认知障碍疾病。

The study reviewed 40 years worth of research to reach its conclusions on the effects paternal age had on fertility, pregnancy and health of children.

该研究回顾了40年间的研究成果，最后总结出了父亲的年龄对生殖能力、怀孕和子女健康的影响。

Lead author Gloria Bachmann, director of the Women’s Health Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, commented: “While it is widely accepted that physiological changes that occur in women after 35 can affect conception, pregnancy and the health of the child, most men do not realize their advanced age can have a similar impact.”

研究报告的首席作者、罗格斯大学罗伯特伍德约翰逊医学院的女性健康研究所所长格洛丽亚·巴赫曼评论说：“尽管人们普遍认为女性在35岁后的生理变化会影响受孕、怀孕和胎儿健康，但多数男性没有意识到自己年龄偏大也会产生相似的影响。”

"In addition to advancing paternal age being associated with an increased risk of male infertility, there appears to be other adverse changes that may occur to the sperm with ageing.

“父亲年龄过大不仅和男性不育风险增加有关，男性变老似乎还会对精子产生其他负面影响。”

"For example, just as people lose muscle strength, flexibility and endurance with age, in men, sperm also tend to lose ‘fitness’ over the life cycle.”

“例如，正如人们变老后肌肉会失去力量、柔韧性和耐力一样，精子也会在这一过程中变得越来越虚弱。”

As for the reasons behind this, Bachmann suspects it’s down to the natural decline in testosterone levels man experience as they age, in addition to a reduction in semen quality.

至于这一现象背后的原因，巴赫曼怀疑是因为男性变老时睾酮水平随之自然下降，与此同时精液质量也降低了。

When men age they become more predisposed to sperm degradation, the study found, which, during conception, can lead to heredity mutations in the DNA cells of the offspring that prompt a number of disorders.

研究发现，当男性变老时，精子退化的倾向进一步加强。精子退化会在受孕时导致后代的DNA细胞发生遗传突变，从而引发多种病症。

predisposed[,pri:di'spəuzd]: adj. 先有倾向的，先有意向的

"Although it is well documented that children of older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia – one in 141 infants with fathers under 25 versus one in 47 with fathers over 50 – the reason is not well understood,” adds Bachmann.

巴赫曼补充说：“尽管有翔实的文献记载，高龄父亲的子女更可能被诊断出精神分裂症——年龄不到25岁的男性生育的孩子患病率为141分之一，而年过五十的男性生育的孩子患病率为25分之一。不过人们对其中的原因还不是很了解。”

"Also, some studies have shown that the risk of autism starts to increase when the father is 30, plateaus after 40 and then increases again at 50.”

“此外，一些研究显示，男性年过三十后，所生育子女的自闭症风险开始增加，年过四十后，所育子女的自闭症风险趋于平稳，年逾五十后自闭症风险又继续攀升。”

Bachmann also pointed out that women tend to be more active with their reproductive health than men, who rarely consult a physician unless they have an obvious fertility issue.

巴赫曼还指出，女性对自身的生殖健康一般持有更积极的心态，而男性只有在出现明显的生育能力问题时才会去看医生。

In light of the findings, Science Daily reports the obstetrics and gynaecology specialist recommends that men who plan on delaying fatherhood consider banking sperm before their 35th birthday to decrease the chances of health complications down the line.

每日科学网站报道称，鉴于这些研究结果，产科和妇科专家建议计划延迟生育的男性考虑在35周岁之前冷冻精子来降低后代出现并发症的几率。

In light of: 根据；鉴于

Bachmann’s study follows a similar one published in November 2018 conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

在巴赫曼的研究发布之前，斯坦福大学医学院的研究人员在2018年11月也发表了一个类似的研究报告。

The research found that fathers older than 35 were at a higher risk for complications such as low birth weight and seizures.

该研究发现，男性年龄超过35岁时生育出的子女患上出生体重过低和癫痫等并发症的风险更高。