Can a Father's Alcohol Consumption Affect Their Baby?

We know a pregnant mother's drinking places their child at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome, but research suggests that parental alcohol use can be harmful, too.

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Many people who are trying to get pregnant know to avoid drinking, since alcohol can cross the placenta and lead to problems like fetal alcohol syndrome disorders (FASDs) in babies. Dads, historically, have been let off the hook. But may paternal alcohol affect sperm and also lead to birth defects? Research suggests yes.

Scientists have sought to explore why some babies are born with alcohol-linked health problems when their pregnant parent has claimed not to have had a drop to drink during pregnancy. Animal studies and some human studies link paternal drinking before conception with health problems in babies, including heart disease, behavioral issues, and more.

Read on to learn about these findings and how dads-to-be can make smart choices for their children's health.

Paternal Alcohol Use and Birth Defects

Research suggests that a male's sperm quality is compromised by drinking, which can negatively impact their future children's health. In one large analysis, 40% of babies with birth defects had fathers who reported using alcohol at the time their partners got pregnant. Comparatively, 31.5% had dads who did not drink, a statistically significant difference.

Some of the most compelling studies linking paternal alcohol use with infant health issues have been in animals. In one, heavy alcohol consumption in male mice a few months prior to conception was strongly correlated with growth deficiencies and skull and face deformations in their offspring that's consistent with fetal alcohol syndrome. These findings supported an earlier research review of both human and animal studies that linked paternal alcohol use to lower weight at birth, reduction in brain size, and impaired cognitive function.

Other aspects of a baby's health may be impacted by paternal drinking. Babies of fathers who binge drink three months prior to conception are 52% more likely to develop congenital heart disease. (A mom-to-be's heavy drinking raised a baby's risk for heart disease by 16%).

Fathers Who Smoke

Other paternal habits can harm babies' health. Paternal smoking, in particular, appears to put a baby at risk. Male babies of fathers who smoke before or around the time their partners get pregnant are more likely to deal with obesity, breathing problems, and headaches later. These children also appear to have lower sperm quality later in life.

Parental Alcohol Guidelines

More research needs to be done before major medical organizations make recommendations about how much males should drink when they're trying to become parents. As recently as 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, "A father's alcohol use cannot lead to FASDs. FASDs can only happen when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol."

Given the mounting research, however, many experts advise that prospective fathers consider curbing their alcohol use. In a statement that followed his study on the link between paternal alcohol use and heart disease in children, Jiabi Qin, MD, of Xiangya School of Public Health in Changsha, China, said that research "does indicate that men and women planning a family should give up alcohol." He added, "Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high-risk and dangerous behavior that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health."

Hansa Bhargava, MD, a pediatrician in Atlanta, agrees. "Though it's not clear how much alcohol can make a difference, there seems to be an association between the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome and a father's consumption of alcohol," she says. "Until (more is known), it's best to be conservative and minimize alcohol intake if you are thinking of having a baby. Both parents are involved in ensuring the best health of the baby before and after delivery."

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