Healthy Dads

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Healthy Dads

• Steven M. Schrader, Ph.D.
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health

2
Pre Peri-Conception Health of the Father

• Reduced Fecundity
• Genetic Damage to the Sperm
• Transport of Chemicals Transvaginally from Semen
• Take Home Toxicants

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Transport of Chemicals Transvaginaly from Semen

• Three Possible Mechanisms
• Access of Chemicals from Vagina to Maternal
  Circulation
• Direct Chemical Exposure of Conceptus Following
  Transport
  from Vagina to Uterine
  Cavity
• Delivery to the Egg by Chemicals Bound to the
  Sperm Cell

4
General Health

• Fecundity
• Mumps
• Fever
• Infections of reproductive system (prostatitis,
  epididymitis, and orchitis)
• Varicocele
• Testicular Injury

5
Sexually Transmitted Disease

• Fecundity
• Vas defrens damage
• Trachomatis IgG antibodies (Chlamydia)
• Transvaginal infection

6
Lifestyle

• Fecundity Effects
• Nutrition
• Inadequate vitamin C and zinc in the diet
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Hot Bath/Sauna/Hot Tub Use
• Clothing (tight pants/underwear)
• Excessive stress

7
Recreational Drugs

• Fecundity
• Prolonged use of marijuana
• Cocaine
• Anabolic steroids
• Genetic Damage
• Transvaginal Transport
• Cocaine attaches to sperm membrane

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Medical Therapies (examples)

• Fecundity
• Some antibiotics (e.g nitrofurans)
• The antidiarrheal drug sulfasalazine
• The anti-fungal medication ketoconazole
• Genetic Damage to Sperm
• Therapeutic radiation
• Many cancer drugs are mutagenic
• Transvaginal Exposure from Semen
• Cyclophosphamide (animal studies)
• Tetracycline binds to sperm membrane
• Several Antibiotics (Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin)

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Hot off the Press

• Epigenetic Programming in the preimplantation rat
  embryo is disrupted by chronic paternal
  cyclphosphamide exposure Barton et al PNAS
  102786 2005
• Preconception paternal exposure to
  cyclophosphamide leads to increases in embryo
  loss, malformations, and behavioral deficits in
  the offspring and these abnormalities are
  transmissible to subsequent generations
• Cyclophosmide-induced DNA damage in the paternal
  genome relays defective messages as early as the
  first round of DNA replication in the zygote,
  manifesting profound epigenetic changes in
  chromatin structure and function subtle enough to
  maintain fertility and perpetuate long term
  genetic instabilities

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Environment Occupational Exposures

• Reduced Fecundity
• Heavy Metals
• e.g. lead, cadmium, nickel
• Pesticides
• e.g. DBCP, EDB, Carbaryl (Sevin)
• Solvents
• e.g. Glycol ethers, perchloroethylene
• Heat

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Environment Occupational Exposures

• Genetic Damage to the Sperm
• Spontaneous Abortions
• Organic Solvents
• Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Petroleum Refinery Chemicals
• Birth Defects
• Paints Cleft Palate
• Printing Industry Cleft lip
• Sperm Chromatin Damage
• Severe Air Pollution, Organphosphorous Pesticide
• Sperm Aneuploidy
• Organphosphorous Pesticide

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Environment Occupational Exposures

• Transport of Chemicals Transvaginally from Semen
• Heavy Metals
• e.g. Lead, Nickel, Cadmium
• Pesticides
• e.g. 2,4 D, EDB
• Solvents
• e.g. Benzene, Xylene. Trichloroethylene

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Environment Occupational Exposures

• Take Home Toxicants
• Toxicants on laundry
• Tracked into home
• In automobile

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Summary Healthy Dads are Important for Healthy
Babies

• His Lifestyle
• His Medical History
• His Drug Use
• His Medications Treatment
• His Environmental Work Exposures
• Affect the Pregnancy Childs Health

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Intervention Approach

• Preconception health of the potential father
  should be stressed to men and women in
  preconception clinic visits as well as in health
  communication tools and information.

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Worker Information

• Free to Distribute
• Free to Copy
• Call 1-800-35-NIOSH
• E-mail to pubstaft_at_cdc.gov
• Ask for pub 96-132
• Or from my website www.spermtox.com