Page 2 - FWP Wealth Adviser newsletter - June 2025: Issue112

ISSUE 112
MAY 2025

Pension Age Policy: as toxin exposure alters genetic expression and epigenetic
Intentions and Unintended Consequences markers in gametes.
The Australian government’s decision to increase the Age Pension reforms and pandemic interventions have
Pension age was primarily motivated by concerns about an intensified this preexisting crisis. While delayed retirement
ageing population, workforce shortages, and the long-term reduces grandparental childcare availability-a key support
sustainability of the pension system. The policy encourages system for young families-environmental toxins compound
older Australians to remain in the workforce for longer, the problem by weakening reproductive capacity itself.
thereby reducing the period over which they draw on public For instance, women exposed to high pesticide levels face
funds. a 26% lower probability of live birth per cycle, and men
However, as highlighted by Have a Go News, this policy in industrial areas exhibit 30% higher rates of sperm DNA
shift may be contributing to a decline in Australia’s birth fragmentation. The pandemic exacerbated these trends
rate, which has fallen to its lowest level since World War through increased stress and isolation during lockdowns,
I. The article notes, “Raising the pension age means that while economic uncertainty and healthcare disruptions
many grandparents are still working and are less available to further delayed family planning. Crucially, toxin-related
provide childcare for their grandchildren,” a factor that can fertility damage is not easily offset by policy adjustments:
significantly affect the ability of younger families to balance unlike childcare availability, diminished ovarian reserve or
work and childrearing responsibilities. sperm quality cannot be restored through fiscal incentives
Firstlinks echoes these concerns, suggesting that pension or flexible work arrangements.
rules and superannuation policies are increasingly influenc- Addressing fertility decline requires confronting both
ing not just retirement planning but also intergenerational immediate policy trade-offs and systemic environmen-
family dynamics and fertility decisions. The article posits tal threats. While pension reforms aim to balance fiscal
that “when grandparents are less available to help with sustainability and workforce participation, their impact
childcare, younger couples may delay or forgo having addi- pales beside the silent crisis of toxin accumulation. A 2024
tional children due to the high cost and limited availability European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
of formal childcare”. report warns that EDCs alone could push global fertility
This phenomenon is not unique to Australia. OECD coun- rates below 1.0 by 2070-a trajectory no pension policy can
tries that have raised pension ages often see similar trends, mitigate. Solutions demand a dual approach: revising retire-
with delayed retirement reducing the capacity of older ment policies to support intergenerational caregiving while
adults to support their children’s families, both financially regulating industrial pollutants and funding detoxification
and through direct care. Academic research supports this, programs. Without tackling environmental root causes, even
showing that intergenerational support is a key determinant the most family-friendly pension reforms will struggle to
of fertility intentions in developed societies. reverse a fertility crisis decades in the making.

Environmental Toxins: Grandparental Childcare:
A Decades-Long Driver of Fertility Decline The Missing Link in Fertility Decisions
While pension reforms and pandemic-era policies have The impact of grandparental involvement on fertility
influenced recent fertility trends, they exacerbate a far intentions is well documented in demographic research. A
older and more systemic crisis: the cumulative impact of seminal study published in Demographic Research exam-
environmental toxins on reproductive health. Over the ined four European countries-France, Norway, Bulgaria,
past 50 years, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such and Lithuania-and found that both emotional support and
as bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl childcare help from grandparents were associated with
substances (PFAS), and organochlorine pesticides have increased intentions among mothers to have a second or
been linked to a 1-2% annual decline in global fertility rates. third child, especially in wealthier countries and financially
These toxins interfere with hormone regulation, damage secure households.
reproductive organs, and impair fetal viability, with studies
showing that even low-level exposure can reduce ovarian re- Key findings include:
serve in women and sperm quality in men by up to 40%. For • “Mothers who received grandparental child care help
example, PFAS-found in nonstick cookware and waterproof were more likely to say they intended to have another
textiles-are associated with a 30-40% reduction in clinical child in France and Norway”.
pregnancy rates, while air pollutants like PM10 increase • “Mothers who received emotional support from grand-
miscarriage risk by 160%. Unlike policy-driven shifts, this parents were more likely to say they intended to have
decline is irreversible for individuals and spans generations, another child in France, Norway, and Bulgaria”.

2