Increasing risk of Trisomy-21 (Down Syndrome) with age of mother
Women who conceive in
their late 40s have as much as a 50-fold higher risk
than women in their 20s of having a child with Down
Syndrome (left). Some question exists as
to whether the age of the father influences this trend.
Analysis of chromosome X-Y-21
aneuploidy in sperm (right) shows no significant
association with age
(Wyrobek et al. 2006
PNAS 103, 9601)