Although various maternal risk factors have been recognised, it is still unclear what causes preeclampsia, and some evidence suggests paternal risk factors such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. New research published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica suggests that fathers’ characteristics and lifestyle however do not in fact play a significant role in their partners’ susceptibility to preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex vascular disorder in pregnancy characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation or new-onset PE-associated signs in the absence of proteinuria.
In this study, researchers examined questionnaire data from 586 men who had fathered a preeclamptic pregnancy and 660 control men who had fathered a non-preeclamptic pregnancy. Fathers in the former group more often reported preeclampsia in a previously fathered pregnancy, but there were no differences in the socioeconomic background or health history of the preeclamptic and control fathers or their parents.
“Importance of paternal genetic factors has been demonstrated in their partners’ susceptibility to preeclampsia, but the role of paternal phenotype and lifestyle is still not well understood. Both paternal genotype and phenotype need to be addressed in future studies,” said co-author Noora Jaatinen, MD, a University of Turku PhD student.
Source: Wiley
