Fathers' Drinking Habits Contribute To Fetal Development Issues
An increasing body of evidence reveals that fathers' drinking habits significantly impact the well-being of their future children — before they are conceived, throughout gestation, and long after they are born.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuMay 12, 202294 Shares1.9K Views
Most of us know that a mother's drinking habits can influence her baby's health. Excessive alcohol intake during pregnancy has been linked to several poor effects for children, including an increased chance of physical abnormalities, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and cognitive deficiencies. However, mothers and their drinking habits aren't the only ones to blame for their children's developmental results. An increasing body of evidence reveals that fathers' drinking habitssignificantly impact the well-being of their future children — before they are conceived, throughout gestation, and long after they are born.
There is a relationship between father drinking habits before conception and the likelihood of fetal birth abnormalities. According to this observational study of 529,090 couples, there was a 35% increase in the risk of congenital disabilities in newborns if the father drank alcohol regularly in the six months leading up to conception if the father drank alcohol regularly. The study followed a variety of birth malformations, including congenital heart disease, limb anomalies, clefts, digestive system anomalies, gastroschisis, and neural tube disorders, among others. Several drawbacks have been identified by the study's authors, including the fact that it did not follow the quantity of alcohol ingested before conception.
Can An Alcoholic Father Have A Healthy Baby?
According to new research, there is a link between paternal alcohol consumption before conception and the likelihood of congenital fetal disabilities. Fathers who consume alcohol regularly before conception are more likely to have children with congenital disabilities such as congenital heart disease, limb anomalies, cleft palates, and digestive tract anomalies. Alcohol may cause congenital disabilities for reasons that are currently unknown. However, preliminary evidence suggests that alcohol alters the shape, size, and motility of sperm and that it may also alter the DNA of sperm.
Can The Father's Sperm Cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a disorder that occurs in children due to maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome results in brain damage and development issues. The issues produced by fetal alcohol syndrome differ from kid to child, but fetal alcohol syndrome impairments are irreversible.
Maternal alcohol exposure in utero is a known risk factor and cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS children face severe intellectual retardation, limited development, nervous system abnormalities, social issues, and isolation. There has been no causal link between fathers and such disabilities until now. A groundbreaking new study has revealed that fathers may be more accountable. Dads who drink alcohol at unsafe levels may contribute to FAS owing to sperm abnormalities and genetic and epigenetic impacts; thus, both fathers and mothers should be involved in pregnancy planning and reducing/stopping at-risk alcohol use during the preconception period.
Can Alcohol Be Passed Through Sperm?
Seminal fluid has the ability to transport toxins directly into the female reproductive system: alcohol can be transferred by sperm, lead can be transported by seminal fluid, and cocaine's metabolites can bind to sperm as well... Women who were exposed and fathered children with men who were not exposed had offspring of both sexes.
Can A Man Drink Beer When Trying To Conceive?
Women have traditionally been advised to abstain from alcohol if they are pregnant or suspect they may get pregnant. However, according to a recent study, men who want to become dads should abstain from alcohol for at least six months before trying to conceive. If would-be parents drink in the three months preceding pregnancy, and especially if mom drinks during the first trimester, they risk having a kid with congenital heart disease. Men's drinking raises the risk by 44%, while women's drinking raises it by 16%. Binge drinking (five or more drinks at once) increases men's risk by 52% and women's risk by 16%. "Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behavior that not only increases the risk of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health," said study author Dr. Jiabi Qin, a researcher at Central South University's school of public health in Changsha, China.
Can An Alcoholic Man Get A Woman Pregnant?
According to studies, men who consume low to moderate amounts of alcohol (up to two drinks per day for a guy) do not negatively affect their fertility or hormones. However, excessive alcohol use, often known as heavy alcohol consumption, might negatively influence male fertility.
Conclusion
Although it is unknown why paternal drinking may cause birth abnormalities, preliminary research shows that alcohol alters the shape, size, and motility of sperm and may also affect the DNA that is handed down to offspring. Overall, the risk of birth abnormalities remains minimal regardless of alcohol usage, but men who want to be dads should abstain from alcohol for at least six months before trying to conceive.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles