Congenital Malformations in Children of Mothers Aged 42 and Over

Abstract

IN the heterogeneous group of congenital malformations, correlation with factors such as parental age are of etiological and epidemiological significance. Parental age has also a special relevance to the problem of gene mutation induced by ionizing radiation¹. The average individual gonad dose received before and during the reproductive period varies greatly in the different populations of the world. Apart from radiation from atomic energy plants and nuclear weapons, this variation is due mainly to differences in natural background radiation and differences in the use of diagnostic X-rays.