For generations, the story around pregnancy focuses on a figure: mother. She is the one that leads the child, navigating the hormonal roller-coaster, and carefully adjusts her lifestyle in anticipation of maternity.

But in recent years, Katha has taken a different turn: the father’s health also matters. And it matters long ago before imagining the child.

An increased body of research now suggests that pre-inflammatory health, his diet, stress levels, exercise habits and even its weight can affect pregnancy results and long-term health of the child.

It is not just about passing on good genes. It is about how those genes are regulated, expressed, and even re -formulated by lifestyle.

When does pre-inflation begin?

The term “pre-conception” adds an image of a few weeks just before a pregnancy test is positive. But scientifically, it is a very broad window.

A 2018 study published in the Lancet proposed three overlapping approaches on pre-inflammation: biological, personal and public health.

From a biological point of view, it is some important day or week from the forms of the fetus. From an individual point of view, it starts the moment that a couple decides to try for a child, usually weeks or months ahead.

But from a public health lens, pre-concept can spread over years, which includes the time in correcting risk factors such as poor diet, unabled diabetes or obesity.

This detailed lens is actually what the new research is urging us to adopt, especially when it comes to men.

Father effect: What science says

In 2024, researchers from Helmholtz Munich and German Center for Diabetes Research published a groundbreaking study in nature.

Using mice, he found that men demonstrated a change in high -fat diets in their epididimis, part of the male reproductive system where sperm mature.

These changes not only affect the sperm, they had permanent results for children.

The most disclosed discovery was the role of small molecules, known as mitochondrial TRNA fragments (or MT-TRNA), which was replaced by father’s diet.

These molecules made their way into the sperm and then passed into the fetus at the time of conception, which was subscribing to gene expression in the developing fetus.

In simple words, what the father ate had an average impact on the future health of his children, before he imagined.

What about mitochondria? Are they not from mother?

Mitochondria, often called the “powerhouse” of the cell, leads its own DNA and traditionally considered the exclusive genetic gifts of mothers. That perception is now being challenged.

New findings suggest that sperm also carry pieces of mitochondrial RNA in eggs. These MT-TSRNAs do not change the mitochondrial DNA themselves, but they can affect how genes are turned on or closed in the early stages of life, affecting energy metabolism and other important processes.

It is a quiet form of effect, but a powerful.

BMI and birth weight

It is not only diet and subtle RNA that is making a case for father’s health. Another study led by Mariana Renaldi Karwalho from Sao Paulo University found a clear relationship between a father’s body mass index (BMI) and the birth weight of a child.

The high ancestral BMI was attached to the birth weight and the circumference of the small head in newborns.

While the importance of small head size is still being studied, birth weight remains an important marker of long -term health.

Very small or large -born infants increase risk for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and later cancer in life.

Half of the breeding equation forgot

Over the years, the conversation around pregnancy has almost focused on the health of the mother and Dr. IVF CEO Dr. According to Kshiti Murdia, in an interview with indiayatoday.in.

But now scientists are looking at the father’s health and lifestyle and how it is connected to the child even before conception.

A father’s age, habits and stress levels can affect sperm quality, DNA integrity and hormone levels.

“Smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet, untreated diabetes, and hypertension can all reduce fertility and increase the risk of complications during pregnancy,” Dr. Murdia said.

A 2019 study also found that there is evidence of a father’s sperm quality that affects the risk of miscarriage.

Scientists at Imperial College London examined the sperm quality of 50 men, whose partners had three consecutive abortion.

Research published in Journal Clinical Chemistry showed that, compared to men whose partners did not experience miscarriage, the sperm of those involved in the study had a high level of DNA damage.

The study conducted in 2019 has challenged the traditional concepts of focusing on women in search of reasons for recurrent abortion. The health of men – and the health of their sperm was not analyzed earlier.

But this research connects with the fact that scientists are already knowing that the health of a man’s sperm can affect how healthy pregnancy will be. In fact, earlier studies suggest that sperm helps in creating placenta, the organs that gives the growing child oxygen and nutrients.

According to Alexander Givaraman, a professor of reproductive medicine at Lund University, sperm in which a chromosome brake (which belongs to epigenetics) can double the risk of pre-eclampsia and low birth weight in the child.

Even though we know that a father’s health before conception is associated with the consequences of pregnancy and future health of the child, there is not yet enough studies to improve lifestyle problems or to control long -term health problems, there may be a big difference, in fact there may be a big difference, Givaraman has written in conversation.

Preparation for paternity: What can men do?

The preparation of paternity simply requires a change in perspective. Dr. According to Murdia, changes in simple lifestyle can lead a long way:

• eat right: A balanced diet with a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins can improve the quality of sperm and hormone balance.
• Exercise regularly: Being active helps to regulate testosterone and supports overall welfare.
• Manage stress: Chronic stress can affect fertility. Practices such as meditation, yoga, or even regular walks can help.
• Avoid harmful substances: Cut or eliminate tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs.
• see a doctor: A prior perception can highlight health check-up hidden issues and ensure that any drug is safe.

The interaction around reproductive health is gradually expanding the father not only to incorporate as emotional or financial supporters, but also as biological partners whose health leaves a permanent heritage.

Paternity preparation is more than standing during delivery. It starts months or years before the child arrives.