Traditionally, mothers have been discouraged from certain habits that are believed to affect their babies. Unfortunately, fathers were ignored besides warnings against smoking and other addictions that have external effects.
However, according to a new study published early this month in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), fathers should also avoid drinking six months before pregnancy.
Dads are also directed to avoid alcoholic drinks in the first trimester of their partner's pregnancy to reduce the chances of their babies being born with congenital heart defects.
Binge drinking (taking five or more bottles of alcohol in one sitting) is even more dangerous.
Australian National Drug and Alcohol Research Center also warns against alcoholism among fathers.
"Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behaviour that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect but also greatly damages their own health," said study author Dr Jiabi Qin, of Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China as quoted by Science Daily.
Fathers who take alcohol during the prohibited time increases risks of heart defects in babies by 44 per cent.
Surprisingly, mothers risk influence was estimated to be 16 per cent.
"We observed a gradually rising risk of congenital heart diseases as parental alcohol consumption increased. The relationship was not statistically significant at the lower quantities," part of the research noted.
Additionally, dad's alcoholism leads to low weight among children according to a study seen by Parents publication and published in the American Journal of Stem Cells.
The study was termed observational by authors despite using data from 41,747 babies with congenital heart collected from 1991 to 2019.
They said further studies are needed before their findings are adopted.