Father and child gazing at embryo, symbolizing IVF hopes.

Does Dad's Age Matter? Unpacking Paternal Age and IVF Outcomes

Lena Voss in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A new study sheds light on the impact of paternal age on embryo quality and pregnancy success with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)."

For couples navigating the world of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), understanding the factors that influence success is paramount. While maternal age is widely recognized as a key determinant, the role of paternal age has been less clear. Does the biological clock tick for men as well, impacting their ability to conceive through methods like in-vitro fertilization (IVF)? Recent studies aim to demystify the impact of a father's age on reproductive outcomes.

Male aging can bring about changes that potentially affect fertility, including damage to sperm DNA, altered DNA methylation, increased oxidative stress, and compromised sperm production. As a result, questions arise about whether a man's age can influence the effectiveness of ART procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

This article dives into a recent study investigating the effects of paternal age on ICSI outcomes. By analyzing over 2,500 ICSI cycles, the research provides valuable insights into how a father's age might impact embryo quality and pregnancy success.

The Study: Paternal Age and ICSI Success

Father and child gazing at embryo, symbolizing IVF hopes.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 2,627 ICSI cycles performed at a reproductive medicine center in China between 2007 and 2015. The study focused on how paternal age affected various factors, including:

To determine the effects, researchers analyzed embryo quality [number of fertilized oocytes, 2 pronucleus zygotes (2PNs), viable embryos, and high-quality embryos] and relationships between paternal age and pregnancy outcomes.

Embryo Quality: Number of fertilized oocytes, number of 2PNs, number of viable embryos, and number of high-quality embryos.
Pregnancy Outcomes: Clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, live births, and preterm births.

The study adjusted for maternal age and sperm origin to isolate the effects of paternal age. Here's what they found:

The Bottom Line: What Does This Mean for You?

The study suggests that while increased paternal age may negatively influence the number of high-quality embryos, it doesn't appear to significantly impact overall pregnancy outcomes in couples undergoing ICSI. This is reassuring for many couples; however, it's essential to consider the study's limitations.

The research primarily focused on men under 60, and more extensive research is needed to understand the impact of paternal age in older men. Additionally, long-term follow-up studies are necessary to assess potential effects on offspring health.

If you're considering ICSI, discuss all potential factors with your fertility specialist. While paternal age is a factor, it's just one piece of the puzzle. A comprehensive evaluation will help you make informed decisions and optimize your chances of success.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149867, Alternate LINK

Title: Effect Of Paternal Age On Reproductive Outcomes Of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Subject: Multidisciplinary

Journal: PLOS ONE

Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Authors: Yixuan Wu, Xiangjin Kang, Haiyan Zheng, Haiying Liu, Qing Huang, Jianqiao Liu

Published: 2016-02-22

Everything You Need To Know

What is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and what is its role in this context?

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg to achieve fertilization. The study used this procedure to investigate the impact of paternal age on fertility outcomes, looking at factors like embryo quality and pregnancy success.

How does paternal age affect embryo quality, according to the study?

Paternal age can influence embryo quality in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) cycles. The study found that as the father's age increases, there might be a decrease in the number of high-quality embryos. This is connected to potential changes in sperm DNA, DNA methylation, increased oxidative stress, and compromised sperm production that can occur with male aging. While the study suggests a possible impact on embryo quality, it's important to understand that this doesn't appear to significantly impact overall pregnancy outcomes.

How did the study define and measure embryo quality?

The study defines embryo quality by several factors observed during Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), including the number of fertilized oocytes, 2 pronucleus zygotes (2PNs), viable embryos, and high-quality embryos. These measures help researchers assess how well the sperm fertilizes the egg and how well the resulting embryo develops. Assessing these factors gives insight into how paternal age may affect the chances of a successful pregnancy.

What pregnancy outcomes were analyzed in relation to paternal age?

Researchers examined several pregnancy outcomes in the context of paternal age and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), including clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, live births, and preterm births. By studying these outcomes, the researchers aimed to understand how paternal age affects the success of pregnancies achieved through ICSI.

What are the implications of the study's findings for couples undergoing Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)?

While increased paternal age may negatively influence the number of high-quality embryos, it does not significantly impact overall pregnancy outcomes in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). This means that even though there might be fewer top-quality embryos as a man ages, the chances of a couple achieving a successful pregnancy are not severely affected, according to this study.