Generally, it is known that mothers are responsible for offering life support to the unborn baby. However, there are various things that influence the health of the baby that arise from the father. Most of the effects to the unborn baby that arise from the father are biological. That is from the genetic point of view.
Then again, the article states that men have been receiving advice from doctors which instruct them to avoid smoking and drinking prior to sex because there is a high likelihood of these two aspects lowering the quality of their sperm. The toxins that they absorb from these toxic substances remain in their body and thus leave biological traces on their born children. In addition, according to the study conducted by the Swedish researchers, when boys ate excessively before puberty (9-12), there adult sons had lower than usual rates of heart disease. This shows that how a father eats at a certain age will also affect the offspring (Judith, P. 1).
Moreover, there is another factor that scientists explain that most people do not know. It is termed as epigenetics. Epigenetic is all about the science of variation in genetic expressions, which are not, caused by actual alterations in DNA sequencing. This is the mechanism that has been the main cause of transmission of stress exposure. The exposure to stress is influenced by the environment and genetics and can therefore, be acquired or passed from the father to the baby. As noted out from Dr. Nestler, it is not certain on how father’s trauma transmits itself to the child; it maybe through the sperm or any other factors (Judith, P. 1).
However, in the epigenetics of the time of aging, there is slight evidence or rather prove to show that the everyday social setbacks are associated with the level and quality of sperm. When a man is at age 40, his gonad cells divides 610, which times making the spermatozoa. As he turns 50, the number of division increases to 840. As these cells continue dividing up, errors may occur in the chain of the DNA. Therefore, some scientists have noted that these errors that occur during sperm division might influence the development of the brain. Whether this is termed as a real fact or speculation, various practical incidences prove that children that have been born out of aged fathers have further signs of autism, schizophrenia as well as bipolar disorder compared to their counterparts who have been born from young fathers.
In conclusion, many studies have focused on how the mother determines the sibling’s body health avoiding the father. Most of the studies focus on the eating habits and the environment where the mother stays and its effect to the baby. However, according to my opinion fathers play a significant contribution to the sibling’s body health. The genetic part of it remains the widest part which is proves this.
Works cited
Judith, Shulevitz. Why Fathers Really Matter. 8 September 2012. Accessed on 9 November 2012 from
