Posted on 10/23/2004 11:49:01 PM PDT by LouAvul
Children born to older fathers may have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia (search) than those with younger dads, according to a new study.
Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling mental illness. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with multiple or split personalities. Instead, people with schizophrenia hear voices that others don't; they suffer from paranoia and live fearful and withdrawn lives. The first signs of the mental illness emerge around adolescence and early adulthood. The cause of schizophrenia is not known, and there is no cure.
The study is based on more than 750,000 Swedes born between 1973 and 1980, all of whom were still living in Sweden at age 16.
It was conducted by epidemiology professor Finn Rasmussen of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues and appears in the Oct. 23 online edition of the journal BMJ Online First.
The researchers examined a variety of records, including Sweden's birth registry and data on Swedish hospital admissions for schizophrenia between 1989 and 2001. The study did not include undiagnosed or non-institutionalized cases.
The study conducted by Rasmussen shows that schizophrenia occurred more frequently among those born to dads older than 30.
The link was stronger in fathers with no family history of schizophrenia, and it remained important even after taking into account other factors that might increase the risk of schizophrenia.
The researchers found that for every 10-year increase in paternal age, there was an almost 50 percent increased risk of schizophrenia in the children.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This is completely ridiculous.
Older dads (and moms) have more wisdom and maturity. Don't believe a word of this article.
Was Kerrys dad old? Must be since Kerry seems to always argue with himself. "Yes..no...yes...no...I support it...no you don`t, yes I do, no we don`t"
Hmmmmmm. I just LOVE these "studies". I wonder what other info could be drawn from this?
A) Sweedes have a higher rate of mental illness than other people?
B) All that cold weather and indoor activity drives you nuts?
I remember all those "studies" that said fats was bad for you, then it wasn't. Salt was bad; then it wasn't.
Ahhh... forget it. This is not fun anymore.
Hitler's father was old, but I think this is really reaching. Sounds like the "publish or perish" syndrome strikes again.
"This is completely ridiculous.
Older dads (and moms) have more wisdom and maturity. Don't believe a word of this article."
Wisdom and maturity have nothing to do with the integrity of the bioligical material the man provides. If you read the article, the theory is that it could be linked to damaged sperm in older males.
I don't buy it....all Scandinavians are "different" anyhow.
But they have a new metal-trance music scene that is making some great sounds....even to this old daddy of toddlers...lol
Okliplot or something like that....the Vandy station plays that stuff.
...Sweden again, where men in universities must sit to urinate, and all men must pay a domestic violence tax.
Maybe Sweden induces schizophrenia more with each year a person lives there.
I suspect there's more than this one factor at play. Like, for instance, the moms being older than 30 as well?
I'd be asleep right now, except for the fact that my 17 year old isn't home yet, although she says she's on her way home. A couple of wings are going to get clipped in a very short while.
Wow. I guess those REALLY OLD 30 year old guys should just forget having kids. Let's just leave the fathering to 14 and 15 year olds.
Adolph Hitler had an older father and a young doting mother - or so they said in the Boys From Brazil.
Schizophrenia is likely caused by an infectious retrovirus. The older the dads, the more likely that the parents have been infected with the retrovirus and pass it on to the kids.
On a lighter note, does this mean that Scott is a Swede?
"If you read the article, the theory is that it could be linked to damaged sperm in older males."
I think a child is harmed more by a damaged mind (without godly wisdom and values) than by a damaged sperm.
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