Why men should give up drinking alcohol before conceiving a child

By Pol Allingham via SWNS

Dads who drink before their baby is conceived can give the child brain and face growth defects, according to a new study.

Scientists say men wanting to be dads should join moms-to-be in giving up the booze.

Pregnant women have long been warned that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects in their unborn child, known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Texas A&M University linked the father’s drinking habits to growth defects and even found his boozing affects the child’s brain, skull and face far more than the mother.

Until now, the father’s role in FAS had never been studied, despite the disorder affecting 1.2 to 2.4 million children born in the UK in 2020, according to National Organization for FASD. FAS can have a lifelong impact on the child.

Scientists noted the influence of paternal health over the fetus is a novel field.

Their study revealed craniofacial differences in offspring born to fathers who regularly consumed alcohol at or more than the legal limit.

Professor Michael Golding, of Texas University, said: “We found that male exposures actually drive certain craniofacial differences much stronger than maternal exposures do, so this programming effect that's coming through sperm has a profound effect on the organization of the face and the growth and proportion of different facial features.

“When it was the dad drinking, we saw a profound shift in the organization of the face.

“When doctors suspect a child has FAS, they sit down with the mother to confirm the diagnosis by discussing her drinking habits during pregnancy.

“It’s not uncommon for the mother to deny consuming alcohol while pregnant. When they do, there's this stigma or this notion that women are lying about their alcohol use.

“Our research proves there’s a plausible alternative explanation – the father’s contribution, which has never been examined before.

“In this study, we call into question the dismissal of the mother’s denial and really examine the capacity of male alcohol use to induce FAS growth defects.”

Professor Golding made several recommendations: “First is the recognition of the importance of male health in pregnancy outcomes and fetal health.

“Research examining fetal health is overwhelmingly focused on maternal health.

“I'm not saying that this is not appropriate; I'm just saying it's not the complete picture and we need some balance.

“The second, is the fact that both parents are responsible for preventing alcohol-related birth defects.

“Change the alcohol warning label to remove the maternal emphasis and put it on both parents to say, ‘The decision to consume this beverage can have significant, life-changing consequences to a future child.’

“Right now, the warning label only conveys part of the story. We must get that message out into the world as quickly as possible.”

FAS is hard to diagnose - doctors currently look for abnormal facial features and a lower-than-average weight, height, or both.

They also study any central nervous system problems, such a small head size, problem with attention and hyperactivity or poor coordination.

On top of the physical signs, clinicians verify that the mum drank alcohol during her pregnancy.

The researchers tested mice to find out what happens when the mother, father and both mouse parents consume alcohol.

The study was published in Journal of Clinical Investigation.