Hey, a Patient Asked Me About This the Other Day

For some time now, it has been known that alcohol consumption during pregnancy leads to fetal alcohol syndrome. This is why alcoholic products carry a warning stating it isn't wise to drink while pregnant. Now, it's time for the FOB (father of the baby) to listen up.

From LifeScript newsletter:
Maternal alcohol consumption during conception and pregnancy is a widely known risk for fetal deformities or miscarriage, but paternal alcohol intake has not been studied, until now. A Danish study followed men and women during conception and through pregnancy, monitoring alcohol intake from both partners. The results of the study were this: women who drank 10+ drinks during the time surrounding conception were 3 times more likely to miscarry than women who did not drink. Men who drank 10+ drinks during conception increased their partner’s risk of miscarriage by up to 5 times. Alcohol concentration in semen is similar to that in the blood, and can alter the chromosomes of sperm cells, which can be passed to the baby.