Another Reason To Kick The Habit: Studies Show Dad’s Bad Habit Affects Baby As Well

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By mia bolaris-forget

Raising kids traditionally starting with pregnancy and even trying to conceive has placed most of the onus and burden on moms and moms to be. In fact, in recent decades there was a surge in strategies in helping moms prep for parenthood, starting with making changes to diet and lifestyle even before she is “with child”.

And, while dad’s have been given and have taken more responsibility in rearing their brook, little if any attention is paid to “his” habits pre-conception. Yet, it’s no surprise and no big news that conception takes two. And, it now seems that the choices DAD makes have just as much of an impact. In fact, a recent study, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, notes that dads who were smokers, especially those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily has an significantly greater chance of siring a chil with a Central Nervous System (CNS) tumour, mostly those known as astrocytomas, the most common type of brain tumour. In addition smoking dads seemed to increade the risk of ependymomas, a rare glioma found in the brain or spine. And, these finding were not restricted to those men who smoked during the pregnancy but those who failed to kick the habit for up to a year prior to conception and birth. Yet, ironically enough there seems to be little or no link between maternal smoking and tumours, according to some experts. But, they add, that does not mean that moms and moms-to-be should not kick this, and other bad habits as they prepare to give birth or to conceive.

Studies also suggest that tobacco may negatively impact the genetic material that men carry and pass along to their offspring, since smoke raised the risk of mutation or changes during sperm production. Furthermore, moms who breath in the toxic smoke can pass it along to the baby via the placenta affecting the unborn baby’s DNA.

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