Contents:
- Medical Video: Understanding Birth Defects
- Why does father's age and diet affect whether the baby is born disabled?
- Age of father causes changes in genes
- Father's diet also triggers changes in DNA
Medical Video: Understanding Birth Defects
It turned out that not only women were at risk of having a baby with a disability at the age of 35 years. Men who are over 40 years old also have the same risk. A study found that fathers over the age of 40 who plan to have children, there is a risk that the child is born disabled. Not only that, the food intake and lifestyle that father has, causes disruption of fetal growth and development.
Why does father's age and diet affect whether the baby is born disabled?
Basically, what really affects the growth and development of the fetus is the diet and lifestyle of the mother. However, it turns out that fathers who have the habit of drinking alcohol, have a lifestyle that is not good, and do not eat healthy foods have an impact on the process of growth and development of children. A child can experience it fetal alcohol spectrum disorder even though his mother has no history of consuming alcohol at all. This can be caused by the habit of consuming alcohol owned by his father. In accordance with these assumptions, based on research conducted by Georgetown University Medical Center, it is known that as many as 75% of children experience fetal alcohol spectrum disorder have an alcoholic father and this affects children's development in the future.
In addition, other findings found by experts in the study were:
- The age of a fairly old father is associated with an increased incidence of schizophrenia, autism, and disability at birth in children.
- The consumption of unhealthy foods done by the father even since he was a teenager will affect the development of the fetus and increase the incidence of heart disease in children and grandchildren.
- Obese fathers cause metabolic changes in their bodies which then risk genetic changes in their children's genes, which can cause cancer.
- Stress that is often experienced by fathers is associated with psychosocial disorders in the future.
- The habit of drinking alcohol that is owned by the father, affects the birth weight of children which can then cause a decrease in children's cognitive abilities.
Age of father causes changes in genes
Research that examines the lifestyle of fathers with fetal growth and development is still very little. Therefore, until now it was unclear what the relationship was. However, experts assume that this is related to changes in the gene of the father caused by a pattern of life that is not good and then handed down to his child. This theory is referred to as epigenetics, namely changes that occur in human DNA caused by various factors, one of which is environmental factors, which can be passed on to subsequent generations.
Fathers who are more than 40 years old have a greater chance to produce sperm with poor quality, and this is considered as one of the risk factors for disability in children. Not only defects, some studies also mention that father's age can cause miscarriage, autism, schizophrenia, Down's syndrome, abnormal musculosketetal system, and disability in the heart organs. In addition to sperm quality that may be less good, researchers say that genetic change is one factor in this event.
Father's diet also triggers changes in DNA
Then what about the diet and life of the father that affect the health of the fetus? Just as the previous hypothesis said that DNA changes play a role in this. Poor diet and stress conditions that are often experienced by the father, will change the DNA of the father which was then handed down to the next generation. Research conducted in mice also stated that the mice 's fathers who experienced stress turned out to have rats having mental disorders and higher stress levels.
Behavior often consuming alcohol and smoking can also affect DNA in father's sperm. Research conducted in mice, found that rat fathers who are often given alcohol have rats whose birth weight is low and cognitive impairment is seen when rats are placed in small labyrinths.
The limited scientific evidence makes this relationship unclear and further research is needed on this matter. But there is nothing wrong if you apply a healthy diet and lifestyle, avoid smoking, not drinking alcohol, and do regular exercise. Not only beneficial for your health but also beneficial for the health of your family and grandchildren.
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