Study Links Fathers' 30% Ultra-Processed Diets to Higher Birth Weight in Newborns
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 8
Study Links Fathers' 30% Ultra-Processed Diets to Higher Birth Weight in Newborns
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 8
Summary
A Brazilian study of 43 family units found fathers who ate more ultra-processed foods had babies with higher birth weight, greater weight relative to height, and thicker thigh and hip skin-folds.
Researchers calculated each parent's diet from two 24-hour food interviews and found ultra-processed products supplied about 30% of fathers' energy intake, led by processed meats, sugary drinks and cookies.
The study did not find higher total body fat and shows correlation rather than causation, but the authors said the pattern points to paternal diet as a factor in fetal development before conception.
Possible mechanisms include inflammation, poorer sperm quality and epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation or altered IGF-II expression, adding to evidence that fathers' preconception health can shape offspring outcomes.