Researchers at Texas A&M University have already shown that paternal drinking habits prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development — with semen from men who regularly consume alcohol impacting placenta development, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)-associated brain and facial defects, and even IVF outcomes.

One of the major risks associated with alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy is FAS, which causes abnormal facial features, low birth weight and/or height, attention and hyperactivity issues, and poor coordination.

While Golding and his lab will continue to research the effects of paternal drinking to help doctors advise couples, he suggests that fathers abstain from alcohol at least three months prior to conceiving, given this groundbreaking discovery.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done to get a hard answer, but we know that sperm are made over the course of 60 days, and the withdrawal process takes at least one month,” he said. “So, my estimate would be to wait at least three months.”