Fathers Behavior and Fetus Development - Research Paper Example

? Father’s behavior and fetus development For a long time, it has been thought that mothers controlled and determined thehealth of the unborn children. Fetal development problems during pregnancy have been traced to mothers alone, with fathers not thought to cause any fetal problems, as the child develops. However, this idea has been broadened by new studies, which indicate that some fetal development problems can be traced to the fathers. This paper will focus on the behavior of fathers that can cause problems in fetal development. Precisely, the paper will discuss how behavior such as drug use when the father had sex with the mother affects the health of the baby. In addition, the paper will focus on whether a baby will develop genetic disorders, resulting from the father’s behavior during conception. Introduction According to Hadi et al. (1987), the lifestyle of fathers, including the use of drugs such as cigarettes, alcohol and exposure to industrial chemicals affects characteristics of sperm cells. Consequently the fetus will be harmed, and some complications may occur when the mother is still pregnant, or upon birth of the child. Alcohol consumption by fathers causes various problems in the reproductive system, because men make sperms throughout their lives. When a male consumes alcohol, it enters the testicles through the blood stream. The drug then mutates some characteristics of the sperm, and can cause deformity to the sperms, hindering their mobility Hadi et al. (1987). During sex, the transportation of alcohol to the ova occurs through semen, and this exposes the embryo to high levels of the toxic components of alcohol. Semen affected by alcohol alters the maturation of an embryo. Miscarriages, birth defects and illness normally occur if fathers drink heavily. In addition, intellectual and functional problems may result in children whose fathers engaged in heavy drinking during conception. Growth and development in children whose fathers took alcohol during conception often slows, as compared to children whose parents never took any alcohol. The child may portray such behavioral problems as slowness in learning basic life skills, and they tend to have difficulties while socializing with other children. Therefore, these children may not relate well with other children in the society (Cicero, 1994). Upon birth, children of fathers who are heavy alcohol drinkers tend to be hyperactive, and they may portray certain behavioral problems such as poor performance in school. Male exposure to alcohol during the conception of a child leads to changes in the development of the embryo and results to small sized children. When males consume too much alcohol when having sex with the mother, children born become susceptible to infections. Children of drunkard fathers appear malformed upon birth; infant mortality often occurs in children whose fathers drank alcohol while having sex that resulted to their birth. A child is born of a father who took alcohol during conception may have problems with memory, as well as neurologic problems. Cicero (1994) argues that genetically, children born of fathers who took alcohol during conception tend to be addicted to the drug. Apart from affecting the fetus before birth of a child, alcohol consumption also determines the behavior of children. Alcohol consumption becomes a genetic disorder that the child inherits from the father. Children of drunken fathers often consume too much alcohol than those whose fathers never drunk during conception. Therefore, the consumption of alcohol in fathers during conception causes a similar problem to children, with the behavior manifesting itself as the child grows up. Hadi et al. (1987) asserts that consumption of alcohol by fathers during conception causes both prenatal and postnatal retardation. Infants of fathers who often took too much alcohol may have shorter length than those whose parents did not take alcohol during conception. Alcohol causes damage to the central nervous system (CNS), which may result to permanent damage of the brain. The children may often experience delays in speech and language; therefore, being slow in learning. In addition, abnormalities in head and face may also occur. For example, they may have abnormally small eyes and a small head circumference. Smoking in fathers during conception has far-reaching consequences on fetus development and growth of the child. Smoking causes damage to the environment of the sperm, especially to fresh sperms and renders the body unable to protect the newly formed sperm. Children of fathers who drink while having sex that leads to pregnancy get may get cancer, as the smoke causes health problems to the sperm. Possibility to contract cancer seems to be much higher in children if the father smokes a lot before conception occurs. Further, smoking causes deformity to the sperms resulting to miscarriage of the fetus (Harlap & Shiono, 1980). Fetuses of fathers who smoke often struggle for their lives, unlike those of fathers who rarely smoke. High mortality rates are evident in fetuses whose fathers used to smoke prior to conception (Harlap & Shiono, 1980). The children have low weight at birth, and increased risks of getting diseases; as smoking weakens the immune system of the unborn child. Thus, smoking during conception can affect the unborn child by causing high prevalence of diseases once the mother gives birth to a child. Infant mortality rates are high in instances when the mother conceives the child with a man who smoked a lot of cigarettes. Harlap & Shiono (1980) notes that exposure to chemicals in males can also causes serious health problems to the fetus and growth of the child. When men expose themselves to chemicals such as lead during conception, miscarriages occur. Lead and other substances such as ethylene oxide and ionizing radiations negatively affect human reproduction. They adversely affect mal reproductive system and sperm count resulting to infertility and stillbirths. The ingestion of cocaine before conception binds sperm cells and exposes the baby during fertilization, causing health risks to the unborn and newly born child. The intake of drugs such as marijuana can have serious problems on fetus development, as well as the growth of the newborn child. Men who use marijuana before or during conception cause serious health risks to the unborn child. Just like smoke from cigarettes, marijuana travels through the bloodstream into the sperms (Hadi et al., 1987). As a result of smoking marijuana, less food and oxygen reach the baby. This affects the brain development of the child, as well the child’s growth. Newborns of fathers who used marijuana before conception experience attention disorders and difficulties in learning that might show up at the age the child attends school. High intake of caffeine by fathers also affects the development of the fetus. When fathers take a lot of caffeine during conception of the child, the newborn children may suffer from physical disabilities. Mental disorders may also result from increased intake of caffeine when the man engages in sexual intercourse with a woman, and the woman gets pregnant. Absorption of caffeine takes place through the blood stream, with the drug going to the sperms. It affects the unborn babies; as they may not be able break it down easily (Harlap & Shiono, 1980). Conclusion In conclusion, this research paper describes how much the behavior of fathers can affect the life of the unborn child and newly born children. Consumption of alcohol before or during conception can cause sperm defects. Sperms are made continuously to a man’s body; they undergo mutation and increase the chance of the baby having more problems. Smoking also causes harm to the fetus, as the smoke gets transferred through the bloodstream. Men should pan in advance for a healthy family; they should stop drinking, quit smoking, and use of drugs. In addition, they should not expose themselves to harmful chemicals at work. Adopting these actions will lengthen their lives, as well as increase the possibility to have healthy children. References Cicero, T. J. (1994). "Effects of Paternal Exposure to Alcohol on Offspring Development: Alcohol Health and Research World, Vol. 18, No. 1, pages 37-41. Harlap, S & Shiono, P.H. (1980). Alcohol, smoking, and incidence of spontaneous abortions in the first and second trimester. Lancet Publisher. Hadi, H.A, Hill, J.A & Castillo, R.A. (1987). Drugs and reproductive function: a review. Obstet Gynecol Survey. Read More