Maternal influence on fetal development and health outcomes of her offspring is widely accepted – but, how about the fathers? Little emphasis has been placed on the crucial role of preconception health counseling for expecting fathers in primary care practice or family planning clinics. There is an increasing body of evidence that paternal preconception diet, stress, fitness, chemical and environmental exposure, and his overall health, contributes to the infant’s health outcome and plays a role in the prevention of non-communicable disease in adulthood. There is a need to shift the paradigm from solely focusing on maternal preconception exposures and embrace the paternal influence of fetal programming and infant health outcomes. Focus on modifiable lifestyle factors and risk reduction strategies that can be incorporated into preconception health counseling at primary care or family planning clinics.

Sylvia Metzger, MPH, MSN, FNP-C; Family Nurse Practitioner, El Paso Health County Family Planning Clinic; Monument CO