Increasing risk of Trisomy-21 (Down Syndrome) with age of mother
Women
who conceive in their late 40s have a 50-fold higher risk
of having a Down Syndrome child (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)