Most pregnant women know it is not wise to drink alcohol when they are planning to conceive a baby, but now recent research has found that men should watch their alcohol consumption if they are planning to father a child.
According to a study conducted by Georgetown University Medical Centre, newborn babies are at high risk of developing foetal alcohol spectrum disorder if their father is a frequent drinker.
The lead researcher Dr Joanna Kitlinska has claimed that newborns could develop the condition even if their mother never even consumed a single drop of alcohol. Dr Kitlinska explained: “Up to 75% of children with FASD have biological fathers who are alcoholics, suggesting that pre-conceptual paternal alcohol consumption negatively impacts their offspring.”
However excessive drinking is not the only thing men need to be aware of when trying for a baby, with researchers finding that a number of environmental factors can effect genes which are passed on by men.
Scientists say a man’s age, lifestyle and experiences can also lead to physical and mental problems in his future child.
The new research found that the older the father is their child will have an increased chance of going on to develop schizophrenia, autism and birth defects, as well as increased chances of obesity.
Dr Kitlinska added: “We know the nutritional, hormonal and psychological environment provided by the mother permanently alters organ structure, cellular response and gene expression in her offspring.”
“But our study shows the same thing to be true with fathers. His lifestyle, and how old he is, can be reflected in molecules that control gene function. In this way, a father can affect not only his immediate offspring, but future generations as well.
“To really understand the epigenetic influences of a child, we need to study the interplay between maternal and paternal effects, as opposed to considering each in isolation.”