Does delaying fatherhood reduce fertility?

In a study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, couples in which the prospective father was older had a reduced likelihood of a successful birth through in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). This was true independent of the prospective mother's age.

The study included 4,833 IVF/ICSI cycles (involving 4,271 men), with 40.8% of cycles resulting in a live birth. Compared with younger men, the probability of a live birth was 33% lower for men older than 50 years of age.

"Paternal age over 50 significantly affects the chance of achieving a live birth following assisted reproductive technology," the authors wrote. "There should be a public health message for men to not delay fatherhood."