Dads can have a severe impact on birth defects for his newly born or son to be born son or daughter. Dads don’t share a blood contain to their children but he can expose them to harmful things. If the dad is a smoker and smokes in front of the mother of his child then the mother can pick up secondhand smoke and effect the baby. Men exposed to substances like lead, mercury, or pesticides can also have a harmful effect on the development of the baby. So many people think mothers are the only ones who can harm their children during pregnancy, but men can also harm their children and may cause them to have birth defects. Know your family history and be cautious when trying to bring another human into this world.

Key Takeaways:

• We know so many things that a woman can do both before and during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of birth defects. But what about dads?
• A paternal exposure is something the father of a baby is exposed to before conception or during his partner’s pregnancy.
• Some paternal exposures can damage the quality of a man’s sperm. This includes changes in sperm size, shape, number, or function.

“We know so many things that a woman can do both before and during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of birth defects. But what about dads?”

http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.org/?p=24097