To boost odds of a long life, men should delay fatherhood until age 25, study says Men who wait to have children until they are at least 25 years old are more likely to survive past age 55 than men who become fathers before age 22, a new study says. The findings are based on a study of more than 30,000 fathers in Finland. (iStockphoto) Print Here’s some expert advice for would-be fathers: If possible, wait to have kids until you hit your mid-twenties. Becoming a parent sooner raises the chances of an early death, new research suggests. After analyzing health records of more than 30,000 fathers from Finland, researchers determined that men who had their first child before age 22 were 26% more likely to die between the ages of 45 and 54 than men who waited until they were at least 25. The youngest fathers were about 50% more likely to die early than men who put off having kids until they were at least 30.