concieving

In understanding the effects that teratogens have upon a fetus during pregnancy is vital for every woman wanting to conceive. However, men are not alerted on the importance of taking care of ones body prior to conception. In the beginning, women often took the blame of why the baby was born with defects and it was never taken into consideration whether the father could have been the contributing factor. But thanks to current research, it has been shown that "Certain drugs (legal and illegal) can have a negative effect on male fertility (a man’s ability to father a child)." (Cleveland Clinic, 2013). It has been also linked that drugs within a man 's system can lead to birth defects, low birth weight, miscarriages, or possibly a serious illness to the child. The previous usage of heavy drugs, drinking and smoking can contribute to damage a developing fetus, as each can cause the formation of the sperm to be deformed which in lead will alter an embryo 's genetic material. Furthermore, when a man is a heavy smoker, the fetus is at high risk of developing life-threatening diseases such as lymphoma, leukemia, and brain cancer. Additionally, a pregnancy can lead to a spontaneous abortion if the father was exposed to lead. The effects of drugs on a man 's reproductive system is highly important to understand, as this helps men know to care of themselves prior conceiving any children. Men may assume that woman are the only responsible of taking care of themselves before and during pregnancy; but now it is both responsibilities to assure that the newborn would be born healthy.

References:

MEN HAVE BABIES, TOO. (n.d.) Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.come-over.to/FAS/mentoo.htm

Jeffery, C. (n.d.) Dads and Birth Defects: The Inside Story. Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.fasalaska.com/DadsBirthDefects.html

Drugs and Male Fertility. (2013). Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/male_infertility/hic-drugs-and-male-fertility.aspx

Teich, M. (2013). A Man 's Shelf Life. Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200708/mans-shelf-life

References: MEN HAVE BABIES, TOO. (n.d.) Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.come-over.to/FAS/mentoo.htm Jeffery, C. (n.d.) Dads and Birth Defects: The Inside Story. Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.fasalaska.com/DadsBirthDefects.html Drugs and Male Fertility. (2013). Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/male_infertility/hic-drugs-and-male-fertility.aspx Teich, M. (2013). A Man 's Shelf Life. Retrieved on January 10, 2014 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200708/mans-shelf-life