Preconception paternal ethanol exposures induce alcohol-related craniofacial growth deficiencies in fetal offspring

Paternal alcohol exposure and dental-facial anomalies in offspring

“…Using a multiplex mouse model study, Thomas et al ( 1 ) showed observations, including alcohol-induced changes that predominated in the lower regions of the face, including the maxilla, mandible, and ear positioning, with a shift of midline features to the right, which is in accordance with previous literature ( 2 ). Craniofacial dysmorphology assessment included demarcation of 16 left/right profile and 18 front landmarks, of which those relating to the oral cavity (dentofacial region) included the bottom/front of the mandible, philtrum, and corner of the mouth.…”

“…To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent article by Thomas et al ( 1 ), wherein the authors shed light on an unexplored research hypothesis, highlighting the significant link between paternal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Considering the seriousness with which alcohol use by women during pregnancy has been viewed, it is noteworthy that there is no previous research evidence on the role of paternal alcohol exposure in the development of craniofacial abnormalities and related growth deficiencies.…”

Teratogenesis and the epigenetic programming of congenital defects: Why paternal exposures matter

“…Alcohol is a potent teratogen and the most common cause of birth defects, with an estimated 6-17 children per 1000 live births diagnosed with some degree of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (May et al, 2017;Popova et al, 2017). Although well established that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy causes birth defects, our group recently reported teratogenic outcomes resulting from chronic preconception paternal alcohol exposures, including defects in craniofacial growth consistent with alcohol-related birth defects observed in maternal models of exposure (Thomas et al, 2022(Thomas et al, , 2023. Our studies demonstrate that male drinking is a plausible yet completely unexamined factor in the development of alcohol-related craniofacial abnormalities.…”

“…This challenge largely stems from our inability to measure dimensions of sperm quality beyond morphology, motility, and DNA strand breaks. For example, our research has identified significant impacts of preconception paternal alcohol exposure on offspring craniofacial development, fetoplacental growth, and longer‐term impacts on the metabolic health of the adult offspring, all of which occur without any overt changes in sperm counts, morphology, or fertility (Y. Bedi et al, 2019; R. C. Chang et al, 2017; R. C. Chang, Thomas, et al, 2019; R. C. Chang, Wang, et al, 2019; Thomas et al, 2022, 2023). Similarly, males maintained on a diet deficient in folic acid have normal testes morphology and sperm counts yet were able to transmit adverse outcomes to their offspring via epigenetic mechanisms (Lambrot et al, 2013; Lismer et al, 2021).…”

“…C. Chang, Thomas, et al, 2019;R. C. Chang, Wang, et al, 2019;Thomas et al, 2022Thomas et al, , 2023. Similarly, males maintained on a diet deficient in folic acid have normal testes morphology and sperm counts yet were able to transmit adverse outcomes to their offspring via epigenetic mechanisms (Lambrot et al, 2013;Lismer et al, 2021).…”