Paternal Alcohol Intake and FASD Article 2022

Running head: PATERNAL INFLUENCE ON FASD
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Paternal alcohol intake and FASD
This article reveals that a father has significant influence the occurrence of birth defects
in their children. For instance, old age has the potential of influencing heart malformation among
other defects. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are also more likely to happen if the child’s father
is an alcoholic. According to (Abadir and Ickowicz, 2016), alcohol intake by men before
conception causes high risk of the teratogenic effects of alcohol reaching the child. It has been
associated with low birth weight and cognitive impairments. The article states that Alcohol
causes a reduction in the performance of DNA methyltransferase which ultimately causes
congenital defects.
However, the effects of the father on the health of the fetus are barely researched as most
studies have focused on the mother. For instance, diet low in protein during pregnancy led to
glucose intolerance and increased abdominal adiposity, increasing maternal age increases the risk
of congenital malformations and alcohol consumption is strongly linked to FASD. It is evident
that maternal influence had been widely researched and integrate into practice while paternal
influence is virtually ignored.
In fact, the burden of FASD has continually been put on the mother, who is always asked
to avoid alcohol use during pregnancy. FASD guidelines should also include education on effects
of the father on the child pre-conception and during pregnancy. It is now evident that both
parents, not just the mother have the ability to put the baby at risk of having FASD and other
congenital malformations.
Through epigenetic mechanism, the father significantly influences the occurrence of birth
defects. Factors such as irradiation, smoking and poor diet put their offspring at risk of obesity,