Dads-to-be should stop drinking 6 months before conception for baby's heart health, study says

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 1304 GMT (2104 HKT) October 3, 2019

Leafy vegetables, along with dried beans and peas, are a good food source of folic acid. When pregnant, the <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a> recommends getting at least two of your daily servings of vegetables from green, leafy veggies.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
Leafy vegetables, along with dried beans and peas, are a good food source of folic acid. When pregnant, the National Library of Medicine recommends getting at least two of your daily servings of vegetables from green, leafy veggies.
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Oranges, grapefruits, honeydew and other vitamin C-rich foods offer a boost to the immune system and may help the body absorb iron. However, try to avoid fruit juices that have a lot of added sugars or sweeteners.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
Oranges, grapefruits, honeydew and other vitamin C-rich foods offer a boost to the immune system and may help the body absorb iron. However, try to avoid fruit juices that have a lot of added sugars or sweeteners.
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Fortified breakfast cereals, brown rice or<br />whole-wheat pasta all offer essential carbohydrates, fiber, iron, B vitamins and various minerals. The <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20046955" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a> says to make sure at least half of your grains each day are whole grains.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
Fortified breakfast cereals, brown rice or
whole-wheat pasta all offer essential carbohydrates, fiber, iron, B vitamins and various minerals. The Mayo Clinic says to make sure at least half of your grains each day are whole grains.
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Well-cooked seafood can be a good source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. The Food and Drug Administration notes that protein in meat, poultry and seafood is an important nutrient in a mother-to-be's diet. However, the food must be properly cooked.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
Well-cooked seafood can be a good source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. The Food and Drug Administration notes that protein in meat, poultry and seafood is an important nutrient in a mother-to-be's diet. However, the food must be properly cooked.
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The calcium in dairy products, such as yogurt, is beneficial to both baby and mother. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises women who have difficulty digesting dairy products to get calcium from other sources, such as broccoli.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
The calcium in dairy products, such as yogurt, is beneficial to both baby and mother. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises women who have difficulty digesting dairy products to get calcium from other sources, such as broccoli.
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Staying hydrated not only benefits moms-to-be, it also helps deliver nutrients to the baby. Women who are pregnant should drink about 10 cups daily, according to the <a href="http://www.womenshealth.gov/fitness-nutrition/nutrition-basics/water.html" target="_blank">Department of Health and Human Services</a>.
Photos: What to eat while pregnant
Staying hydrated not only benefits moms-to-be, it also helps deliver nutrients to the baby. Women who are pregnant should drink about 10 cups daily, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
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(CNN)Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has long been linked to congenital defects and developmental problems in newborns. Now a new study has found a link between a baby's congenital heart defects and their prospective parents' drinking before conception.

Compared to non-drinkers, fathers who drank during the three months before conception were 44% more likely to have babies born with congenital heart disease.
Congenital heart defects affect nearly 1% of all newborns each year in the United States. That's about 40,000 babies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the defect is on the rise.
    If the prospective dads were binge drinkers, which was defined as downing five or more drinks per session, there was a 52% higher likelihood their baby would have a congenital heart defect.
      Previous research has shown that alcohol exposure changes the DNA in developing sperm and changes sperm activity, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood.
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      The risk of drinking during pregnancy
      Photos: The risk of drinking during pregnancy