Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Apr;42(4):735-742. doi: 10.1111/acer.13595. Epub 2018 Feb 14.
There are limited studies on the effects of paternal alcohol consumption, before conception, on the reproductive development of offspring. Anogenital distance (AGD), the distance from the center of the anus to the genitals, is a sensitive biomarker of reproductive hormone abnormalities during the critical developmental window. The relationship between paternal alcohol consumption and AGD of human offspring has not been studied yet.
This cohort study included 1,292 pregnant women recruited in Shanghai. An in-person interview was conducted to collect information on demographic characteristics of couples, and husbands' lifestyles, including drinking habits. AGD (boys, AGD-AP [anus-penis], AGD-AS [anus-scrotum]; girls, AGD-AC [anus-clitoris], AGD-AF [anus-fourchette]) measurements were performed at birth, and at 6 and 12 months of age. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between paternal alcohol consumption before conception, and the AGDs of offspring.
Data included AGD measurements of infants at birth (N = 980), at 6 months (N = 592, 60.4%), and at 12 months (N = 543, 55.4%). Boys in the paternal alcohol-exposed group had shorter AGDs, irrespective of the areas measured (AGD-AP and AGD-AS) and time of measurements, than those in the unexposed group. However, only the differences in AGD-AP at birth and AGD-AS at 6 months were statistically significant. For girls, the associations were similar at birth; however, the AGD-AC and AGD-AF were longer in the paternal alcohol-exposed group than the unexposed group at 12 months.
Our findings provide first, but preliminary evidence, that paternal alcohol consumption within 3 months before conception may be associated with shorter AGD in the offspring, especially in boys, which indicates that paternal alcohol drinking may have an adverse effect on their reproductive development. Further studies should be conducted to validate these results.
关于父亲在受孕前饮酒对后代生殖发育的影响，相关研究较少。肛生殖器距离（AGD），即从肛门中心到生殖器的距离，是生殖激素在关键发育窗口期异常的敏感生物标志物。然而，目前尚未研究父亲饮酒与人类后代 AGD 之间的关系。
本队列研究纳入了 1292 名在上海招募的孕妇。通过面对面访谈收集夫妇的人口统计学特征信息，以及丈夫的生活方式，包括饮酒习惯。在出生时、6 个月和 12 个月时测量 AGD（男婴，AGD-AP[肛门-阴茎]、AGD-AS[肛门-阴囊]；女婴，AGD-AC[肛门-阴蒂]、AGD-AF[肛门-阴唇]）。采用多元线性回归分析确定父亲在受孕前饮酒与后代 AGD 之间的关系。
本研究纳入了婴儿出生时（N=980）、6 个月（N=592，60.4%）和 12 个月（N=543，55.4%）时的 AGD 测量数据。与未暴露组相比，暴露组男婴的 AGD 更短，无论测量部位（AGD-AP 和 AGD-AS）和测量时间如何。然而，只有出生时的 AGD-AP 和 6 个月时的 AGD-AS 差异具有统计学意义。对于女婴，出生时的关联相似；然而，12 个月时，暴露组的 AGD-AC 和 AGD-AF 比未暴露组更长。
本研究结果首次提供了初步证据，表明父亲在受孕前 3 个月内饮酒可能与后代的 AGD 较短有关，尤其是男婴，这表明父亲饮酒可能对其生殖发育产生不利影响。应进一步开展研究来验证这些结果。
