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A groundbreaking study from Brazil has revealed a significant link between a father’s weight and the birth weight of his child. Published in the International Journal of Obesity, the study points to the association between paternal overweight and lower birth weights in newborns. The research, conducted by a team from the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirão Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP), involved 89 father-mother-baby triads, and found that the higher the father’s body mass index (BMI), the smaller the baby’s birth weight.
The study’s findings emphasize that the health of both parents plays a crucial role in fetal development, underscoring that paternal health should not be overlooked when it comes to pregnancy outcomes. “While much attention is paid to maternal health during pregnancy, our study highlights the significant influence of the father’s health on the baby’s development,” said Mariana Rinaldi Carvalho, the first author of the study.
The research suggests that, similar to maternal obesity, paternal overweight could influence fetal growth through epigenetic mechanisms—changes to DNA that affect gene expression. Previous animal studies have shown that a father’s health and lifestyle prior to conception can lead to metabolic disorders in offspring, which may have long-term health consequences for the child.
“Environmental stressors such as poor diet and lack of physical activity can affect the structure and quality of sperm, ultimately altering the genes that will be passed to the child,” explained Carvalho. “This research reinforces the importance of preconception health in both parents, as paternal habits are just as critical as maternal ones for the health of the child.”
The study also found that increased paternal BMI and waist circumference were linked to smaller head circumferences in newborns at birth, though the significance of this finding requires further investigation. Head circumference is an important indicator of healthy fetal development, and variations can be linked to bone mineralization and overall growth.
Paternal overweight is becoming an increasing public health concern. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy has been well-documented as a risk factor for gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia in mothers, and for a variety of complications in babies, including low or high birth weight, obesity, and developmental disorders. But, as this new research highlights, the father’s weight may also have a significant impact on the child’s health.
The study is a follow-up to a larger clinical trial aimed at understanding the impact of nutritional counseling on weight gain among pregnant women who were overweight. It expands the scope by considering how the father’s physical condition may also influence fetal development, a factor often overlooked in previous research.
“While we have long recognized the link between maternal health and fetal development, it’s time to also focus on paternal health before and during pregnancy,” said Daniela Saes Sartorelli, the last author of the study and a professor in the Department of Social Medicine at FMRP-USP.
The researchers plan to further explore how paternal diet and lifestyle, including the consumption of ultra-processed foods and fats, impact newborn health. As more studies continue to focus on both parents’ roles in fetal development, the findings of this study are a step toward more comprehensive strategies for improving public health and promoting healthy pregnancies.
The study, titled “Relationship between paternal excessive weight and neonatal anthropometry in a clinical trial of nutritional counseling for pregnant women with overweight,” can be found in the International Journal of Obesity (2024).
For further details, please refer to the full study: DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01639-8.
