Pregnancy & alcohol: a new study reveals men should be careful with it too

We know that women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, should avoid alcohol – but a new study shows the same may apply to men, in order to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome.

In a study conducted at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with l’Université Laval in Quebec City, mice who had “binge drank,” given 10 per cent alcohol for a few hours every night, had marks on their sperm and this carried over in their offspring’s DNA.

“What we found is that the epigenome, which is like the crust over the DNA, is different in males that have been drinking alcohol. What we also found is that these regions that are different are at the same region as what was previously found in the DNA of the fetal alcohol syndrome where the mother was drinking alcohol, ” explained Claude Robert, a professor in the animal science department at Université Laval – who is one of the researchers collaborating on the study.

The pressure has historically always been on women to make lifestyle changes for the health of her baby, but Robert says this study may change that.

“The small contribution of the male, which was to simply give a half of its DNA, is now changing. A decade ago, anyone who would have suggested that, people wouldn’t have believed it.”

Robert adds other studies have showed similar findings.

“What we’re seeing is that the sperm is capable of remembering the lifestyle of the father and that can be carried over to the offspring.”

Robert says if the goal is to have a zero risk pregnancy men trying to conceive should consider not drinking and plan in advance because sperm takes 60 to 70 days to form.

“That could mean that if someone wants to plan a family maybe you should stop drinking two months before conception.”