WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2022 (HealthDay News) — When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, she knows she’s putting her unborn baby’s health at risk. But a new study suggests that paternal alcohol use can also affect fetal development. Researchers found that men who drank heavily before their partners conceived and during the first trimester of pregnancy had children who were more likely to have low birth weight and be born preterm. The study also found that these children were more likely to have developmental problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder. The study was published March 30 in the journal JAMA Network Open. It’s the first to examine the effects of paternal alcohol use on fetal development, and the findings suggest that fathers need to be aware of the potential risks of drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy. .
Dads Alcohol Habits Affect Fetal Development, Too
