New research suggests that a father’s mental health during a mother’s pregnancy may have a significant impact on the child’s risk of behavioral problems by the time he or she is 3 years old. Though previous research explained the strong link between a mother’s mental well-being and her future child’s behavior, this new study says that dads who experience stress during their partner’s pregnancy may also affect the child’s mental health.

Published days ago, on January 7th in Pediatrics, over 31,000 Norwegian children took part in a long-running family study that included both parents receiving questionnaires prior to birth and lasting until the child was 36-moths old.
From these responses, researches were able to conclude that during weeks 17 and 18 of pregnancy, 3% of surveyed fathers reported high levels of “psychological distress.” From this, researchers found a strong link between the father’s level of psychological distress and the presence of behavioral problems found in their children by age 3.

Kids whose fathers reported stronger levels of psychological distress also displayed higher levers of behavioral problems. And the associations remain true even after accounting for other external factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, mother’s mental health and parents’ age.

The findings let Dr. Anne Lise Kvalevaag, the study’s author, to say, “Father’s mental health should therefore be addressed both in research and clinical practice.” Though the study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationships, the findings may have explained the passing of a genetic risk for behavioral problems from father to child or a father’s stress may affect a pregnant mother’s mental health, which in turn would affect the fetus.

Moms and dads weigh in: Do you think it’s possible that a father’s mental health could affect baby’s behavior?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Will Taking Antidepressants Harm Your Pregnancy?

Preparing Your Health History Before Baby — Why It’s Important

How to Decide if You and Your Partner Should Get Genetic Testing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new study which estimates that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. are identified with having an austim spectrum disorder, up 23% in 8 year olds since the last report in 2009. The study looked at data from 14 communities — findings ranged from 1 in 210 children in Alabama to 1 in 47 children in Utah. And according to the report, the largest increases in cases were among Hispanic and African American children.

CDC director, Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., said in a press release, “One thing the data tells us with certainty – there are more children and families that need help. We must continue to track autism spectrum disorders because this is the information communities need to guide improvements in services to help children.”

Researchers found that more children are being diagnosed by three years old — an increase from 12 percent for children born in 1994 to 18 percent for children born in 2000. 40 percent of children in the current study weren’t diagnosed until four years old.

The CDC recommends that parents monitor their child’s behavior and act quickly whenever there is a concern about their baby’s development – by talking to your child’s pediatrician, calling a local early intervention program for assessment and keeping in mind that parents don’t need an official diagnosis to access help.

What do you think of these new statistics?