The impact of paternal age on the health of their unborn children was the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. Barbara Turnage

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Barbara Turnage, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Social Work, first aired June 18 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. You can listen to their conversation above.

Turnage’s essay, “Paternal Age and Birth Issues,” was published in the January 2016 issue of the International Journal of Childbirth Education. It states that fathers age 40 and older should be informed that they have a higher risk of providing mutated sperm that could result in neurodevelopmental and congenital disorders in their children.

You can read her co-authored report here.

“A lot of the birth defects are not visible,” said Turnage. “They’re more internal, or there might be learning disabilities or autism or schizophrenia, things of that nature.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.