Alcohol Addiction in Men Can Affect the Unborn Baby

It has been a known fact that during pregnancy, women aren’t allowed to indulge in plenty of dishes and drinks. From sushi to alcohol and cigarettes. These three are the main contributors that may lead to a difficult birth. But, what if they were not the only causes behind a baby’s illness? A new study suggests that alcohol addiction in men could affect both infertility and pregnancy. While it has been known that women consuming alcohol during their pregnancy is relatively bad, research suggests they are not the only parents who can cause a lack of fetal development.

It Is Not Only the Women

Men tend to drink more, engage in binge drinking, and face a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder compared to women. This was reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, when diagnosing birth defects in babies linked to alcohol consumption, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, only the mother’s drinking habits have traditionally been considered.

Sperm carry significant epigenetic information that can impact fetal development and child health. Despite this, many healthcare providers often overlook the influence of paternal health and lifestyle choices on child development. They keep focusing primarily on maternal factors.

What New Research Is Suggesting

The developmental physiologist researches the impact of male drinking on fetal development. Unlike the predominant focus on maternal drinking during pregnancy, the researcher and their team specifically investigated the effects of male drinking in the weeks and months leading up to conception. Their studies represent the first exploration of the previously overlooked role of pre-pregnancy male drinking as a potential factor in the development of alcohol-related craniofacial abnormalities and growth deficiencies.

How the Main Focus Were Always Women

In 1981, the US Surgeon General issued a public health warning. They attributed physical and mental birth defects in children to alcohol use by women during pregnancy. The warning was prompted by the increasing awareness of a set of severe physical and mental impairments in children. It was later termed fetal alcohol syndrome, which was found to be correlated with maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Presently, doctors and scientists acknowledge that approximately 1 in 20 US schoolchildren may display various forms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This encompasses a broad range of alcohol-related physical, developmental, and behavioral deficits with enduring challenges. According to the CDC, this spectrum can arise when alcohol from the mother’s blood passes to the baby through the umbilical cord.

Alcohol Addiction Can Affect Babies

This outlook has entrenched the belief that alcohol-related birth defects result exclusively from maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Because of that, they are considered the woman’s responsibility. The medical community further reinforces this perspective by mandating pediatricians to obtain and document prenatal alcohol use confirmation from mothers. They do this before formally diagnosing children with alcohol-related birth defects or neurobehavioral disorders associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.

But Women Who Never Consumed Alcohol Still Give Birth to Babies With the Syndrome

Despite the widely accepted belief that fetal alcohol syndrome results from maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, documented cases exist where children diagnosed with the syndrome were born to mothers who denied alcohol consumption. In a study, 41 mothers denied prenatal alcohol use despite their children being diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome. The common assumption is that these mothers lied about their alcohol intake.

The CDC advises against any alcohol use during pregnancy, yet reported drinking levels don’t consistently correlate with alcohol-related birth defects. This discrepancy has led to conflicting public messaging. Variations in the amount and timing of maternal alcohol consumption contribute to fetal alcohol syndrome. However, they alone cannot explain the diverse symptoms. This suggests that unidentified factors beyond maternal alcohol use contribute to this disorder.

So, What Piece Is Missing?

It’s the dad! But, how? Alcohol, being a social drug, is often consumed by women alongside their male partners. The researcher’s laboratory utilized a mouse model to investigate the impact of alcohol consumption by mothers, fathers, or both parents. Fetal alcohol syndrome is linked to three main birth defects. These include facial abnormalities, reduced head and brain growth, and fetal growth restriction.

How Is the Study Proving That Alcohol Addiction in Men Also Affects Babies?

Using facial recognition software, the study built on previous human research to analyze the effects of alcohol consumption on the faces of mice born to parents who consumed alcohol before conception. They examined potential correlations with the core birth defects associated with fetal alcohol syndrome. In a study conducted earlier this year, researchers captured digital images of mouse faces. They assigned facial landmarks using specific parts of the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Using a computer program, they examined how maternal, paternal, or dual parental alcohol exposures altered the proportional relationships between these landmarks.

What Did They Discover?

The study, utilizing a mouse model, found that chronic male alcohol exposure affected the development of the offspring’s brain, skull, and face. The researchers observed microcephaly and lower birth weight, with the severity increasing with higher levels of male parental drinking. The study suggests that chronic male alcohol exposure, defined as consuming more than five drinks per day in a four-hour window, could contribute to all three core birth defects associated with fetal alcohol syndrome. Additionally, using the same mouse model, the researchers found that these craniofacial changes persisted into later life. This included abnormalities in the jaw and the size and spacing of adult teeth. Furthermore, this would align with recognized symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome in humans.

Alcohol Addiction in Men Can Affect Infertility and Pregnancy

The research also highlights the immediate impacts of alcohol consumption on male fertility and the ability of couples to achieve a healthy pregnancy. This information is particularly relevant for couples facing difficulties in conceiving. Despite the predominant focus on maternal health in assisted reproductive technologies like in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the study suggests that male alcohol exposure can diminish the likelihood of pregnancy success after IVF. Notably, the research indicates that the higher the amount of alcohol a man consumes before providing sperm, the lower the chances of his partner becoming pregnant. The potential decrease is almost 50% in some cases.

What Can We Expect Soon?

The annual estimates indicate that the cumulative costs of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders to the health care and educational systems range from $1.29 billion to $10.1 billion. Given the substantial economic burden and severe lifelong effects on affected individuals, neglecting paternal drinking habits in public health messaging ignores a significant contributing factor. The historical skepticism faced by the first investigations into the effects of maternal exposure to toxins on birth defects parallels the potential resistance to acknowledging the impact of paternal drinking.

The researcher anticipates that some within the medical and scientific communities, as well as the public, may deny the significance of paternal drinking. However, the author emphasizes the need for doctors to inquire about the father’s drinking. This is to fully understand the contributions of paternal alcohol exposure to birth defects and child health.

Have you ever discussed this possibility with your partner before? Or is this your first time finding out about how alcohol addiction in men could affect infertility and pregnancy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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