The field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease has long been studying the influences of maternal smoking on birth outcomes, early childhood development, and lifelong health, but what about paternal lifestyle factors? A new study by Chen, J et al. in Frontiers in Pediatrics reveals that paternal habits before conception, specifically smoking and alcohol consumption, significantly influence the risk of allergic rhinitis in children. This study analyzed over 500 children, with and without diagnosed allergic rhinitis, matched for age and gender, and identified that:
- Paternal smoking of more than five cigarettes per day in the year before pregnancy
- Consuming alcohol at least once a month in the year before pregnancy
- Smoking and/or alcohol consumption for 11 years prior to the pregnancy
significantly increased the likelihood of allergic rhinitis in their child.
These findings emphasize the critical role of paternal health behaviors in preconception planning, suggesting that reducing smoking and alcohol consumption can substantially lower the risk of allergic conditions in children. As a field, we are learning more and more the importance of studying the preconceptual health of both parents to understand the factors that drive health and disease of future generations.
Read the article here!
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