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

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
Published 9:04 AM EDT, Thu 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" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a> recommends getting at least two of your daily servings of vegetables from green, leafy veggies.
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.
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" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a> says to make sure at least half of your grains each day are whole grains.
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.
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.
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" target="_blank">Department of Health and Human Services</a>.
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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What to eat while pregnant
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.

SYDNEY, NSW - JUNE 07: A pregnant woman holds her stomach June 7, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. Australia is currently enjoying a baby boom, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics registering a 2.4% increase in births from 2004 to 2005, which represents the highest number of births since 1992. The Australian Federal Government has been encouraging people to have more babies, with financial incentives and the slogan by treasurer Peter Costello to "have one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country". The Federal Government has identified falling fertility rates and the ageing population as long-term problems for Australia's growth and prosperity. (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, NSW - JUNE 07: A pregnant woman holds her stomach June 7, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. Australia is currently enjoying a baby boom, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics registering a 2.4% increase in births from 2004 to 2005, which represents the highest number of births since 1992. The Australian Federal Government has been encouraging people to have more babies, with financial incentives and the slogan by treasurer Peter Costello to "have one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country". The Federal Government has identified falling fertility rates and the ageing population as long-term problems for Australia's growth and prosperity. (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)
Ian Waldie/Getty Images
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The risk of drinking during pregnancy

For mothers who drank or binge-drank before conception, there was a 16% higher risk for their babies, compared with not drinking.

The study, published Thursday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, was a meta analysis and review of existing studies on the topic, and can only show an association between drinking and birth defects, not a causation.

“Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behaviour that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health,” study author Jiabi Qin, of Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China, said in a statement.

Of course, no one can predict when they might conceive. To be safe, Qin said, the results suggest that men should not consume alcohol for at least six months before fertilization, while women should stop drinking alcohol one year before, and avoid it while pregnant.

pregnant woman belly
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Bizarre things your body might do during pregnancy

Both the CDC and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists say women should completely avoid alcoholic drinks when trying to conceive.

Previous studies looking at the link between alcohol consumption before conception and congenital heart disease had focused on moms-to-be, with mixed results. Qin said this is the first meta-analysis to examine the role of paternal alcohol drinking before conception.

Birth defects occur in one out of every 33 babies and are the leading cause of infant death, according to the CDC. A congenital heart defect is the most common type of birth defect, and according to the CDC, about 30% of babies born with one also have other physical problems or developmental or cognitive disorders.

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