Women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant are advised to avoid alcohol. But what about fathers?
Research over the past several years has suggested that paternal alcohol consumption can also negatively impact foetal development and increase the risk of birth defects in newborns. Semen from men who regularly consume alcohol can impact placenta development and increase the risk of foetal alcohol syndrome associated brain and facial defects, low birth weight and/or height, attention and hyperactivity issues and poor coordination.
A new study published in the journal Andrology suggests that men should try to abstain from alcohol at least three months before they try to have a baby because it takes much longer than previously thought for the effects of alcohol consumption to leave the sperm.
“When someone is consuming alcohol on a regular basis and then stops, their body goes through withdrawal, where it has to learn how to operate without the chemical present. What we discovered is that sperms are still negatively impacted by drinking even during the withdrawal process, meaning it takes much longer than we previously thought for the sperm to return to normal,” the study explained. Even moderate drinking can alter sperm quality and increase the risk of birth defects. The study suggests that fathers should abstain from alcohol at least three months prior to conception.
