The intense focus on mom
The intense focus on mom
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, males consume a greater amount of alcohol, have a higher likelihood of engaging in binge drinking episodes, and are nearly four times more prone to developing alcohol use disorder in comparison to females.
However, when it comes to determining the presence of alcohol-related birth defects in newborns like fetal alcohol syndrome, only the mother’s alcohol consumption has traditionally been considered for diagnosis.
The research presents a clear indication that sperm contains a significant amount of epigenetic information. This information refers to inheritable changes in gene expression that do not arise from alterations in the DNA sequence. These epigenetic factors have a profound impact on fetal development and the health of the child. However, it is unfortunate that many healthcare professionals and doctors do not consider the influence of paternal health and lifestyle decisions on the development of offspring.
I specialize in developmental physiology, focusing my research on investigating the impacts of male alcohol consumption on the development of fetuses.
Although the focus is usually on the mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy, our research team concentrates on the drinking habits of men in the period leading up to conception. Our studies are groundbreaking because they are the first to suggest that male drinking prior to pregnancy could potentially contribute to the development of alcohol-related craniofacial abnormalities and growth deficiencies, an aspect that has previously been overlooked.
The U.S. surgeon general released a public health advisory in 1981, cautioning that the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women led to the development of physical and cognitive birth abnormalities in children.
The warning was issued because there was increasing acknowledgment that maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is linked to a set of severe physical and mental disabilities observed in children, which is now commonly referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome.
In present times, medical professionals and researchers acknowledge that approximately 1 in 20 students in the United States may display certain types of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This term encompasses a broad array of alcohol-related physical, developmental, and behavioral impairments, many of which result in ongoing difficulties for individuals impacted by them throughout their lives.
The CDC states that this condition may arise when alcohol present in the mother’s bloodstream is transferred to the baby via the umbilical cord. As a result, there is a widely held notion that defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy solely stem from maternal alcohol use, placing blame on the woman.
This perception is reinforced by the medical community, as pediatricians are mandated to insist that mothers provide confirmation and documentation of their alcohol consumption during pregnancy before they can officially diagnose children with alcohol-related birth defects or neurobehavioral disorders linked to prenatal alcohol exposure. Nevertheless, there are numerous documented cases in which children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome were born to mothers who claimed they did not consume alcohol while pregnant.
In a particular study, it was found that 41 mothers claimed to have not consumed alcoholic beverages while pregnant, even though their children were diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome. Throughout the past four decades, in similar situations, it has been widely accepted that these mothers provided false information regarding their alcohol intake during pregnancy.
Based on information from the CDC, consuming any amount of alcohol during pregnancy or when attempting to conceive is considered unsafe. Despite this guidance, many instances of alcohol consumption during pregnancy are frequently reported.
Nevertheless, the amount of alcohol consumed by a woman does not necessarily have a direct relationship with the likelihood of her child developing birth defects related to alcohol, nor does every woman who drinks alcohol during pregnancy give birth to a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. Therefore, this inconsistency has led to conflicting information being conveyed to the public.
While discrepancies in the quantity and timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can impact the diversity of fetal alcohol syndrome outcomes, these factors in themselves do not account for the extensive array of symptoms experienced nor the severity of the condition. Hence, there must be unidentified variables beyond maternal alcohol consumption that play a role in this disabling disorder.
Since alcohol is considered a drug with social effects, it is common for women to consume it alongside their male partners. Taking this into account, our laboratory conducted an experiment using a mouse model to investigate the consequences when either the mother, the father, or both parents consume alcohol.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is connected to three primary birth defects: facial anomalies such as small eyes and abnormalities in the middle of the face, decreased growth in the head and brain, and fetal growth restriction, which refers to babies being smaller than average at birth. Expanding on a prior human study, we employed facial recognition software to examine how alcohol intake affects the facial features of mice that were born to mothers, fathers, or both parents who consumed alcohol prior to conception.
Earlier this year, a research study was conducted wherein we obtained a digital photograph of the face of a mouse. Afterwards, using digital technology, we identified and marked specific features of the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Subsequently, a computer program was utilized to assess whether the relationships between these facial landmarks were altered by exposure to alcohol from the mother, father, or both parents.
The investigation conducted with this mouse model indicated that prolonged exposure to alcohol in male mice has an impact on the development of the brain, skull, and face in their offspring. Additionally, we noticed a condition called microcephaly, which involves the inadequate growth of the head and brain, as well as reduced birth weight, with severity increasing in proportion to the alcohol intake of the male parent.
Hence, our research reveals that long-term alcohol consumption in males – specifically, consuming more than five drinks within a four-hour timeframe – could be responsible for causing all three primary birth defects associated with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Additionally, we found that these craniofacial alterations continue to exist in later stages of life when using this identical mouse model. More specifically, we observed irregularities in the structure of the jaw and the dimensions and arrangement of fully formed teeth. Another symptom linked to fetal alcohol syndrome in humans is the misalignment of upper and lower teeth.
In addition to our own research, other investigations have observed alterations in behavior among the offspring of male mice who consistently consume alcohol. Moreover, clinical studies indicate that paternal alcohol consumption raises the likelihood of heart defects in humans.
In addition, our research provides further evidence of the direct effects that alcohol consumption can have on male fertility and the ability of couples to successfully conceive a child. These findings may be particularly significant for couples who are facing difficulties in becoming pregnant.
According to the CDC, approximately 2% of infants in the United States are conceived through the use of assisted reproductive technologies. Although in-vitro fertilization treatments primarily prioritize maternal health and lifestyle decisions, our research indicates that male alcohol consumption reduces the likelihood of achieving pregnancy following IVF.
Our research yielded significant findings that indicate a strong correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed by men before providing sperm and the reduced likelihood of their partners achieving pregnancy. In certain instances, this decrease in chances was observed to be as high as 50%.
Each year, it is believed that the combined expenses incurred by the healthcare and educational systems due to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders amount to a staggering $1.29 billion to $10.1 billion. These disorders have long-lasting and detrimental effects on individuals’ lives. Therefore, disregarding the drinking habits of fathers in public health campaigns fails to acknowledge a key factor that plays a significant role in this issue.
The initial studies conducted in the 1950s and ’60s, which delved into the impact of toxins on birth defects resulting from maternal exposure, faced doubt and disbelief. However, nowadays, it is widely acknowledged that certain drugs taken by pregnant women can lead to birth defects.
It is expected that there will be strong opposition from certain individuals in the medical and scientific fields, as well as among the public, who will vehemently deny the significance of drinking by fathers. However, unless healthcare professionals begin inquiring about paternal alcohol consumption, we will never have a complete understanding of the role it plays in causing birth defects and impacting the health of children.