Having a child is a two-person affair. A mother's preconception health and her well-being during pregnancy have a huge impact on a child's future health.

But it turns out that a father's health and habits before conception also exert a powerful influence over how a child will develop and thrive in the womb and after birth.

A 2020 study revealed that dads who have high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression are more likely to see their newborn arrive prematurely, have a low birth weight, and end up in the neonatal intensive care unit.  

A man's drinking habits before conception also influence their children's health. A new study has led Texas A&M researchers to estimate that for a man's sperm to become free of the negative effects of alcohol, it is important for him to stop drinking for at least three months before conception.

Otherwise, the fetus may experience problems with placenta development and fetal alcohol syndrome-associated brain and facial defects, as well as attention and hyperactivity problems and poor physical coordination. Drinking can also interfere with IVF outcomes.

If you and your partner are planning to become pregnant, it's important for both mom and dad to stop drinking well before conception. This, say the scientists, gives their bodies the time needed to recover from the withdrawal they’ll go through without alcohol

It's also important for both parents to avoid smoking and vaping before conception and during and after pregnancy.