Older Dads Cause Lower Child’s IQ

After being surprised reading the news about the youngest father of Britain, here’s a new scientific finding for those 40+ year old husbands who don’t feel like having a baby yet.

New findings reveal that children who have older dads tend to have lower IQ performance than those children who have younger fathers.

In a research study conducted to 33,000 children with ages ranging from 8 months, 4 years and 7 years old, those children who have fathers aged 50 and above, scored 6 points lower compared to children with fathers in their late 20s and early 30s. This is based on the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale. Though it has been assumed before that children with older parents tend to have higher or advanced skill set, the scientific study proved otherwise.


The study suggested that this may be because of the age-related genetic mutation of the sperm wherein aside from the high risk possibility of fathering to children with dwarfism, men are also more likely to produce offspring with lower IQ if they have babies later in life.

Aside from this discovery, the test also showed results that children with older mothers tend to have a higher IQ level if paired with younger dads. Hmm. The intelligence test results showed that children of older women scored higher compared to children with teenage moms.

According to the study this is due to the fact that older mothers tend to be more mature and spends time more on their children, and therefore nurtures the child’s mental growth.

However, for very old mothers still planning pregnancy, you can put your plans on halt because they still suggest that the optimal age for fathers and mothers to have a baby is the same.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia stated that the ideal age to for having children is in the 20s and early 30s.