Scientists find link between age of parenthood and the risk of bipolar disorder in children

Becoming a parent at a very young or very old age might increase the risk of your children having bipolar disorder, new research suggests.

The condition, which is characterised by dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels, affects a person’s ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

It is thought to have high heritability, and these latest findings, published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, pave the way for future research into the factors associated with developing it.

A team of researchers from Spain, Italy, Australia and the Netherlands reviewed studies involving a total of more than 13 million participants, of whom over 217,000 had bipolar disorder, to see if there was a link between parental age and the risk of bipolar disorder in children.

What they found was a “U-shaped” curve, showing increased risks for both younger and older parents, when compared to parents aged between 25 and 29.

“We can say that both earlier and older parental age is associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder,” study lead Giovanna Fico told Euronews Next.

But although there is an increased risk, potential parents who fall within these age categories shouldn’t be anxious, she added.

“I don't think they should be very worried. The effect is moderate. But there is an effect”.

Older men were more at risk than other groups of having a child with bipolar disorder, with men aged 45 and over having 29 per cent higher odds of having a child with bipolar disorder, compared to men aged between 25 and 29.

This increased risk was also seen in older women, with women aged 35 and over having 20 per cent higher odds of having a child with bipolar disorder compared to women aged 25 to 29.

On the other end of the spectrum, the