Paternal age and Apgar scores of newborn infants.
BACKGROUND
New evidence suggests that advanced paternal age is a reproductive hazard, but we do not know whether paternal age affects the physical conditions of newborn infants as measured by the Apgar score.


METHODS
We conducted a register-based cohort study of 70,347 couples and their first singleton infants by using data from the Danish Fertility Database (1980-1996). Information on Apgar score was obtained by linking the children to the National Birth Register.


RESULTS
The odds ratio for having a baby with a 1-minute Apgar score of 1-3 was 1.64 (95% confidence interval = 1.08-2.48) for fathers 45 to 49 years of age and 1.49 (0.76-2.94) for fathers 50+ years compared with fathers 20 to 29 years (P for trend = 0.011). The risk of having a 5-minute Apgar score less than 7 increased among fathers 45+ years old (P for trend = 0.178).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest a modest effect of advanced paternal age on the Apgar score.
Sun
Yuelian
Y
The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre; Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Denmark. ys@soci.au.dk
Vestergaard
Mogens
M
Zhu
Jin Liang
JL
Madsen
Kreesten M
KM
Olsen
Jørn
J
D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age