Study links fathers' alcohol consumption to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

CAPE TOWN - A new study at Stellenbosch University suggests that fathers who drink excessively could contribute to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
 
Researchers found that a father’s drinking habits can have a small but direct impact on a child’s development. 
According to the study, between 66% and 77% of fathers with children on the FASD spectrum drank during their partner’s pregnancy.
 
Dr. Marlene de Vries from Stellenbosch University said a father’s alcohol consumption can affect a child’s development by age seven.
 
“Our findings show that children whose fathers drank alcohol were more likely to be shorter, have smaller heads, and score lower on verbal IQ tests, even when the mother didn’t drink.”
 
De Vries adds that fathers who consumed an average of five or more drinks per drinking day had children with shorter stature and smaller head circumferences.
 
“It was also clear from the study that the highest risk to a child’s development exists when both parents use alcohol during pregnancy. Binge drinking by the father, and especially by both parents, has the most detrimental effect on the child’s development,” de Vries explained.