Exposure during pregnancy to flame retardant chemicals commonly found in the home is linked to lower birthweight babies.

Moms-to-be who consume certain foods sprayed with pesticides may put their child at risk for having a lower IQ.

Researchers at University of California, Berkeley, report that men with low levels of folate are at an increased risk for sperm containing too many or too few chromosomes, which can cause birth defects and miscarriages.

By JUDITH GRAHAM, CHICAGO TRIBUNE Forget those famous old dads of yore, including Saul Bellow (who became a father at 84), Charlie Chaplin (71), Pablo Picasso (68), and Abraham (100) immortalized in the Bible. Age does make a difference for men who want to have babies, just as it does for women.

CHICAGO _ Forget those famous old dads of yore, including Saul Bellow (who became a father at 84), Charlie Chaplin (71), Pablo Picasso (68) and Abraham (100), immortalized in the Bible. Age does make a difference for men who want to have babies, just as it does for women.