Men should go THREE MONTHS without a drink before trying for a baby, researchers claim

Men should abstain from drinking for at least three months before trying for a baby, according to the latest research.

Scientists have already shown that the drinking habits of fathers can have a negative effect on the development of a foetus and even affect IVF outcomes. Now researchers have found it takes longer than previously thought for the effects of alcohol consumption to leave the father's sperm.

Dr Michael Golding, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University, said: 'When someone is consuming alcohol on a regular basis and then stops, their body goes through withdrawal.

'What we discovered is that a father's sperm are still impacted by drinking during withdrawal, meaning it takes much longer than we previously thought for the sperm to return to normal.'

Currently there are no set time limits for men to stop drinking before trying for a baby, and the NHS website warns only that drinking alcohol 'excessively' can affect the quality of sperm.

A group of men drinking pints of beer in a pub. According to research, men should abstain from drinking for at least three months before trying for a baby after discovering it takes longer than previously thought for the effects of alcohol consumption to leave the father's sperm (stock image)

One of the major risks linked to drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy is foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which causes abnormal facial features, low birth weight, attention and hyperactivity issues, and poor coordination. Typically, the main concern is whether the mother has consumed alcohol – not the father.

'For years, there's really been no consideration of male alcohol use,' Dr Golding said. 'We've started to notice that there are certain conditions where there's a very strong paternal influence when it comes to alcohol exposure and foetal development. We wanted to see how long it would take for the effects of alcohol on sperm to wear off. The withdrawal process took more than a month.'

A pint of beer. Currently there are no set time limits for men to stop drinking before trying for a baby, and the NHS website warns only that drinking alcohol 'excessively' can affect the quality of sperm (stock image)

When drinking alcohol, a person's liver experiences oxidative stress, leading the body to overproduce chemicals which then interrupt normal cellular activity. Dr Golding found that withdrawal causes the same kind of stress – lengthening the duration of alcohol's effects beyond what was previously thought. 'During withdrawal, the liver experiences oxidative stress and sends a signal throughout the male body,' Dr Golding said.

'The reproductive system interprets that signal and says, 'We are living in an environment that has a strong oxidative stressor in it. I need to program the offspring to be able to adapt'.'

These adaptations, he believes, could lead to problems such as FAS. He also warned that it does not take excessive alcohol use for a person to experience withdrawal.

'Even drinking three to four beers after work several days a week can induce withdrawal when the behaviour ceases,' he said. 'You may not feel inebriated, but your body is going through chemical changes.

'We know that sperm are made over the course of 60 days, and the withdrawal process takes at least one month. So, my estimate would be to wait at least three months.'

Dr Golding's research was published in the journal Andrology.