Daddies in waiting
Preconception planning isn't just a girl thing. It's also important for fathers-to-be. Here are some important health issues you and your partner should be thinking about if there's a baby in your future:
• Workplace exposure to lead, mercury, anesthetic gases, biological hazards, pesticides, herbicides, radiation or other health hazards on the job: These can affect a man's fertility and/or the health of his offspring.
• Medication use: Some medications are fertility impairing while others are linked to fetal abnormalities.The jury's still out on most herbal products.
• X-rays to the groin area: One US study indicated that such paternal X-ray in the year prior to conception can affect a baby's growth rate.
• Weight: The excess quantities of the female sex hormone estrogen that can be found in overweight men can interfere with communication between the testes and the pituitary gland, hampering a man's fertility.
• Groin injuries: Athletic injuries can temporarily or permanently hamper fertility and sexual function. What's more, some research links long-distance cycling with groin numbness and impotence.
• Avoid overheating the genitals: Wearing tight clothing, soaking in hot tubs and otherwise overheating the testicles can interfere with sperm production and leave a man less fertile.
• Skip the vices: Cigarettes, street drugs and excessive alcohol use have all been linked to reduced fertility and other negative health effects.
Ann Douglas is the author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby Books, and numerous other books about pregnancy and parenting. You can contact Ann via her website at www.having-a-baby.com.
