Scientists have pinpointed a likely source for many cases of autism and schizophrenia: Men who become fathers later in life pass on more brand-new genetic mutations to their offspring. The finding buttresses observations from population studies that rates of these disorders are more prevalent in children born to older fathers, sometimes by a factor of 2 or more, experts said. The research, published online Wednesday by the journal Nature, also should help correct an overemphasis on the riskiness of women giving birth at older ages, some researchers said. Although older mothers are more likely to have children with chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome because of problems with older...
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