An online survey shows that in the choice of whether to have a second child, young people aged 20-29 have the lowest willingness to have two children, while older groups (35-40 years old) have the stronger willingness to have a second child.
Is it risky for older men to give birth?
Many people know that giving birth to older women will increase the risks of abortion, malformation, gestational diabetes and other problems. Is there also a risk of giving birth to older men?
Under normal circumstances, the proportion of normal sperm in semen is not less than 4%, but the number of abnormal sperm in semen of older men will increase.
Abnormal sperm refers to those sperm with abnormal morphology and immature sperm, which are much worse than normal sperm. Abnormal sperm may cause two main types of problems:
- Difficulty in conception: Some abnormal sperm have poor motility and are difficult to conceive in combination with eggs; Adverse pregnancy results: Some abnormal sperm are genetic material abnormalities. Once these sperm become pregnant, they may lead to abortion or fetal malformation.
In short, as men get older, the number of abnormal sperm increases, which not only makes it more difficult to conceive, but also increases the risk of fetal malformation and abortion.
Effect of Age on Sperm
The reproductive age of men is relatively longer than that of women. The golden period is 25-35 years old. Men in this age group have the most vigorous energy and the best sperm quality.
At the age of 40, men’s testis function gradually decreases, semen parameters (such as semen volume, sperm motility, sperm concentration and sperm morphology) and sperm function will also decrease significantly, and fertility will also decrease accordingly.
However, there are great individual differences in the quality of male sperm. Some people may still have fertility in their 70s and 80s, while others in their 50s may have very poor fertility.
Ruthless years will weaken human fertility, the number of abnormal sperm in the semen of older men will also increase significantly, and the number of normally motile sperm will decrease.
In a nutshell: male fertility decreases with age.
The Influence of Living Habits on Sperm
In addition to the age factor, many accumulated bad living habits are also hurting sperm.
STEP 1 Smoking and drinking
Many people know that smoking and drinking will damage sperm quality, but habits [it is easier to form than to quit]. Long-term smoking and drinking will not only reduce sperm quality, but also damage the spermatogenic function of testis.
2. High temperature environment
Sperm is very sensitive to the temperature of the testis. To produce enough quantity and quality of sperm, the temperature of the testis needs to be 1-2 ℃ lower than the normal body temperature. Some men’s usual living habits, such as wearing tight underpants and often soaking in hot springs or saunas, will affect sperm motility.
3. Unhealthy Fatty Acids
Saturated fatty acids (commonly found in animal fats) and trans fatty acids (commonly found in processed foods) are unhealthy fatty acids, which not only have serious damage to cardiovascular system, but also have certain inhibitory effects on testis secretion of androgen.
Common foods such as fried foods, kebabs, desserts, butter, milk tea, etc. all contain more unhealthy fatty acids. Men who like these foods should be careful.
4. Overweight and obesity
Overweight and obese men generally have low sperm quality, which also increases the risk of hypertension and diabetes, which will harm fragile sperm.
How should older men prepare for childbirth?
In terms of older childbirth, women still bear most of the reproductive risks, such as:
- Cesarean section has increased the risk of massive hemorrhage. The risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension and other diseases increases; The risk of adverse pregnancy results such as fetal malformation and spontaneous abortion increases; The risk of pelvic floor dysfunction diseases such as urinary incontinence and uterine prolapse will increase in the future. … …
For older men, on the one hand, it is routine examination, on the other hand, it is to improve living habits.
If the couple who are planning to have a second child are both older, their physical functions will decline in all aspects, and they should be more cautious in preparing for pregnancy.
First of all, it is suggested that the couple should go to the hospital for fertility assessment. The main assessment contents for men include past medical history and current physical condition.
1. Routine physical examination before pregnancy preparation
Physical examination items mainly include heart, liver, kidney function, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. You can also check semen routine and evaluate sperm quality.
At present, the most commonly used examination to evaluate sperm quality is routine semen analysis. Common normal indicators include:
- Sperm volume ≥ 1.5 mL, total sperm motility ≥ 40%, forward motility ≥ 32%, sperm concentration ≥ 15 million/mL, percentage of normal sperm > 4%
If sperm quality drops, try to find out what goes wrong, such as whether there are bad living habits, sex hormone secretion drops, varicocele, genitourinary infection and other problems.
Step 2 Prepare for pregnancy
Men need to quit smoking and drinking during pregnancy preparation, and also stay away from [second-hand smoke]; It is best not to decorate in the near future. Stay away from radiation and chemical teratogens; Exercise properly every day.
Step 3 Use drugs with caution
If you need medication, you should consult a specialist. For example, for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes, drugs with little effect on sperm can be used during pregnancy preparation.
To be born or not to be born is a question.
With the increase of age, older men, like older parturients, have increased health risks for their offspring.
Although older age is not a taboo for giving birth, older childbirth will bring many difficulties. When planning to give birth to a second child, one must be cautious.
Birth is a sacred and great gestation process, in addition to considering physical factors before giving birth, should also consider what kind of growth environment can be given to children. In addition, parents must communicate with the eldest brother before preparing to have a second child, so that children have a psychological preparation and balance their attention to the two children.
Editor: Yidan