Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On the inadequacy of quinquennial data for analyzing the paternal age effect on Down's dyndrome rates

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Human Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Investigations of the influence of paternal age on the rate of Down's syndrome are complicated by the high correlation between parental ages and the strong dependence of the incidence rate upon maternal age. Two possible approaches to isolating an independent paternal age effect are shown to lead to erroncous results if based on data by quinquennial age intervals rather than by single-year intervals. For a multiple regression method the discrepancy can be removed by using the mean maternal and mean paternal age within each quinquennial cell. Failure to do so results in an artifactual paternal age effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bishop, Y. M. M., Fienberg, S. E., Holland, P. W.: Discrete multivariate analysis: Theory and practice, pp. 124–131. Cambridge: MIT Press 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, J. D.: Down's syndrome, paternal age, maternal age and birth order. Ann. Hum. Genet. 41, 289–298 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson, A., Mikkelsen, M.: The origin of the extra chromosome 21 in Down's syndrome. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 20, 194–203 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamson, S. H., Hook, E. B.: A simple function for maternal-agespecific rates of Down's syndrome in the 20 to 49 year age range and its biological implications. Am. J. Hum. Genet. in press (1980)

  • Matsunaga, E., Tonomura, A., Oishi, H., Kikuchi, Y.: Reexamination of paternal age effect in Down's syndrome. Hum. Genet. 40, 259–268 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard, J. H.: Numerical and statistical techniques, pp. 210–212. Cambridge: University Press 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Stene, J., Fisher, G., Stene, E., Mikkelsen, M., Peterson, E.: Paternal age effect in Down's syndrome. Ann. Hum. Genet. 40, 299–306 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. R. Regal

    Present address: Division of Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, 12201, Albany, NY, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Birth Defects Institute, Division of Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, 12237, Albany, NY, USA

    S. H. Lamson, P. K. Cross & E. B. Hook

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Albany Medical College, 12208, Albany, NY, USA

    E. B. Hook

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of New York at Albany, 12206, Albany, NY, USA

    R. Regal

Authors
  1. S. H. Lamson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. K. Cross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. B. Hook
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Regal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lamson, S.H., Cross, P.K., Hook, E.B. et al. On the inadequacy of quinquennial data for analyzing the paternal age effect on Down's dyndrome rates. Hum. Genet. 55, 49–51 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329126

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329126

Keywords

Search

Navigation