[Caregiving Experience With a Young Father With Multiple Myeloma Undergoing Renal Dialysis and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation].

This case report addresses the author's experience providing nursing care to a 37-year-old patient diagnosed with multiple myeloma requiring regular renal dialysis due to disease progression who received autologous stem cell transplantation. The patient was diagnosed with cancer in young adulthood and, as a father figure, faced various psychological issues associated with the unexpected challenges encountered during their treatment phase. Psychosocial health, which is closely associated with quality of life in patients with cancer, has gained increasing attention in recent years. The limited research published on the subject of fathers diagnosed with cancer encouraged the author to detail her experience with this case. The care period was from August 5th to August 19th, 2022. During the care period, the Gordons's 11 functional health assessment was applied, with potentially severe infections, coping disorders, anxiety, potential risk of injury existing or potential nutritional deficiencies, oral mucosal changes, and diarrhea identified as the primary health problems of concern. Nursing interventions applied included providing protective isolation measures to prevent post-transplant infection, helping the patient learn effective ways to cope with emotional distress, and providing comprehensive follow-up care information and health education to alleviate the anxiety associated with hospital discharge and life after discharge. The challenges of providing nursing care to adolescent and young adult patients differ significantly from those faced in the care of either elderly or pediatric patients. Furthermore, although extensive research has been conducted on mothers diagnosed with cancer, little research has addressed the impact on the paternal role when fathers are diagnosed with cancer, with limited information available regarding their psychological concerns and issues or the impact on family dynamics. The author hopes this case care experience offers an insightful reference and guide for nursing practice that contributes to a better understanding of the psychological aspects of young adult fathers diagnosed with cancer and facilitates more appropriate care in clinical settings.

Parents' and children's experiences of participating in a randomized controlled clinical trial: AIDIT-QS.

Participation in a paediatric, complex randomized controlled trial (RCT) might add to the family burden when a child is diagnosed with a severe disease. Although important, there are only a limited number of papers describing this aspect of research from the family point of view. This study explored parents' and children's experiences of participation in a research study shortly after the child had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Sixteen parents (nine mothers, seven fathers) and nine children were interviewed by an independent researcher about their inducement, the decision-making process within the family which led to their participation, and their experience of having done so. The result showed that the parents wanted to contribute to improve treatment for children with diabetes in general but also specifically for their own child. Older children were more involved in the decision making than the younger children. Study information needs to be communicated clearly and effectively since decision-making based on information of a clinical trial directly after the child's diabetes onset proved difficult. Being randomized to the intervention group in this specific study was considered somewhat burdensome. However, parental participants in both intervention and control group claimed that they would recommend participation in research studies to other parents in a similar situation, and so did the children. There was no difference between the mothers' and fathers' experiences.

Parents' expectations: A predominant driving force for the parents was the expectation that the study outcome could lead to something good for both their own child and other children with type 1 diabetes.Children's perspective on participation: Older children appreciated being involved in the decision-making process and valued their role in potentially helping others with diabetes. However, younger children were less involved and often relied on their parents for decision-making.Personal benefits: Both children and parents considered it important to gain something for themselves; by participating, they could benefit from more advanced technology and more rigorous follow-ups.Importance of control group: It was important for the families' motivation for completing the study that the researchers conveyed that the control group was as important for the outcome of the study as the intervention group.Future treatments: The parents felt that participation in the clinical trial could eventually lead to new treatments that could help their own child.Perceived safety: The fact that the clinical trial was considered well-planned and safe and implied no risk for the child made it easier to agree to participation.Effective communication: Since the onset of diabetes is emotionally stressful, and diabetes treatment itself is demanding, effective communication about the content of such a clinical trial is necessary, otherwise families may not understand what they are agreeing to.Burden on the intervention group: This clinical trial was somewhat burdensome for the intervention group to participate in; nevertheless, all of the families remained committed to their reasons for participating and completed the study.

Father support breastfeeding self-efficacy positively affects exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum and its influencing factors in Southeast China: a multi-centre, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The exclusive breastfeeding condition in China is not optimism now. Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy stands as a pivotal factor influencing exclusive breastfeeding. Interestingly, studies have suggested that father support breastfeeding self-efficacy is a pivotal mediator in infant breastfeeding. Thus, the current research aimed to investigate the association between father support breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum, and the influencing factors of father support breastfeeding self-efficacy. METHODS: This research was structured as a multi-centre cross-sectional study, involving 328 fathers, whose partners were six weeks postpartum, and recruited from two public hospitals in Southeast China. Self-designed demographic questionnaires, namely, Father Support Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, Breastfeeding Knowledge Questionnaire, Positive Affect Scale and the 14-item Fatigue Scale, were applied. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, logistic regression univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse data. RESULTS: Results indicate a significant difference between the infant feeding methods at six weeks postpartum and fathers with different levels of support breastfeeding self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Particularly, father support breastfeeding self-efficacy positively affected exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum after adjusting all the demographic characteristics of fathers (OR: 2.407; 95% CI: 1.017-4.121). Moreover, results show that the significant influencing factors of father support breastfeeding self-efficacy include breastfeeding knowledge, fatigue, positive affect, successfully experienced helping mothers to breastfeed, spousal relationships and companionship time. CONCLUSIONS: High-level father support breastfeeding self-efficacy effectively increased exclusive breastfeeding rate at six weeks postpartum. To enhance the exclusive breastfeeding rate, nurses or midwives can endeavour to design educational programmes or take supportive interventions customised for fathers, such as enhancing their breastfeeding knowledge education, reducing fatigue and mobilising positive emotions, thereby bolstering paternal self-efficacy in breastfeeding.

Understanding and Addressing Male Postpartum Depression: Incidence, Causes, Diagnosis, and Management Strategies.

Pregnancy-related stress affects not only the woman but also her partner. The issue of postpartum depression in women is increasingly discussed, apart from its occurrence in men, which can develop up to 12 months after giving birth. Risk factors for depression in young fathers are numerous and include hormonal fluctuations, socioeconomic conditions, and co-occurrence of other diseases. Emerging depressive symptoms are nonspecific and can be missed even by experienced medical personnel. Currently, screening tests use questionnaires that do not consider male risk factors. Perhaps the development of more personalized diagnostic methods would enable early identification of men at risk and include preventive measures. The proposed treatment methods of postpartum depression, such as sertraline or cognitive-behavioral therapy, enable patients to recover and provide appropriate support. The disease can cause long-term consequences that negatively affect the development and functioning of the child's psyche. Behavioral disorders and emotional problems are observed in children whose fathers had postpartum depression. Moreover, partner relationships deteriorate and the father-child bond is impaired. Further research should focus on identifying risk factors in men from different social classes, considering environmental, personal, and ethnic characteristics, and on the effectiveness of postpartum depression treatment in men. This article aims to review the incidence, causes, diagnosis, and management of male postpartum depression.

Originalarbeiten / Original Article. Chancen und Risiken genderstereotyper Ansprache von Männern im Kontext der Bildungs- und Beratungsarbeit am Beispiel der Geburtsvorbereitung für werdende Väter / Opportunities and Risks of Gender-Stereotypical Approach to Men in the Context of Education and Counselling Work Using the Example of Birth Preparation for Expectant Fathers.

Opportunities and Risks of Gender-Stereotypical Approach to Men in the Context of Education and Counselling Work Using the Example of Birth Preparation for Expectant Fathers At first glance, it seems absurd that families or mothers and fathers become addressees of social work when they decide to have a child. But the legislator has also formulated it: "Mothers and fathers as well as pregnant women and expectant fathers should be offered advice and help in questions of partnership and the development of parental parenting and relationship skills" (§16 paragraph 3 SGB VIII). One can argue that this makes sense, especially in complex and challenging times. Fathers in particular are confronted with an increasing ambivalence between caring father and providing breadwinner. Against the background of crisis-ridden conditions, this ambivalence can be perceived as strenuous living conditions, so that the addressing of social work is justified. Gender-homogeneous psychosocial services for fathersto- be make counselling and educational processes in the sense of helping them to help themselves be used by the addressees. In this article, the gender-stereotypical addressing of men in the context of education and counselling services is presented and discussed using the example of gender-homogeneous birth preparation courses for expectant fathers, on the basis of empirical findings.

Twelve-month outcomes of a community-based, father-daughter physical activity program delivered by trained facilitators.

BACKGROUND: Dads and Daughters Exercising and Empowered (DADEE) is a program targeting fathers/father-figures to improve their daughters' physical activity and well-being. Previous randomised controlled efficacy and effectiveness trials of DADEE demonstrated meaningful improvements in a range of holistic outcomes for both fathers and daughters in the short-term. This study aims to assess the long-term impact (12-months) of the program when delivered in the community by trained facilitators. METHODS: Fathers/father-figures and their primary school-aged daughters were recruited from Newcastle, Australia into a single-arm, non-randomised, pre-post study with assessments at baseline, 10-weeks (post-intervention) and 12-months. The 9-session program included weekly 90-min educational and practical sessions, plus home-based tasks. The primary outcome was fathers' and daughters' days per week meeting national physical activity recommendations (≥ 30 min/day of MVPA for fathers, ≥ 60 min/day MVPA for daughters). Secondary outcomes included physical activity, screen time, self-esteem, father-daughter relationship, social-emotional well-being, parenting measures, and process outcomes (including recruitment, attendance, retention and program acceptability). RESULTS: Twelve programs were delivered with 257 fathers (40.0 ± 9.2 years) and 285 daughters (7.7 ± 1.9 years). Mixed effects regression models revealed significant intervention effects for the primary outcome, with fathers increasing the days/week meeting physical activity recommendations by 27% at 10-weeks (p < 0.001) and by 19% at 12-months (p < 0.001) compared with baseline. Likewise, for daughters there was a significant increase by 25% at 10-weeks (p < 0.001) and by 14% at 12-months (p = 0.02) when compared to baseline. After conducting a sensitivity analysis with participants unaffected by COVID-19 lockdowns (n = 175 fathers, n = 192 daughters), the primary outcome results strengthened at both time-points for fathers and at 12-months for daughters. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis revealed significant intervention effects at post-program and 12-months for all secondary outcomes in both fathers and daughters. Furthermore, the process outcomes for recruitment capability, attendance, retention and satisfaction levels were high. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide support for a sustained effect of the DADEE program while delivered in a community setting by trained facilitators. Further investigation is required to identify optimised implementation processes and contextual factors to deliver the program at scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12617001450303 . Date registered: 12/10/2017.

Paternal Postpartum Depression and Associated Factors Among Partners of Women Who Gave Birth in Seka Town, Southwest Ethiopia.

Despite epidemiologic studies demonstrating the increased incidence of paternal postpartum depression, their emotional health is overlooked throughout their partner's pregnancy and postpartum period as postpartum depression has been traditionally construed as a disease of women. Traditional masculinity norms also result in a lack of recognition and barriers to the treatment of depression in men. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence and factors of paternal postpartum depression among fathers whose wives gave birth. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 7 to 17, 2023. The 288 sample size was estimated using a single population proportion formula and selected by random sampling technique. The data were exported from Kobo Toolbox and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Candidate variables were identified in bivariate at p < .25 for the multivariate analysis. A p < .05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were used to determine the significance. A total of 280 partners participated making a 97.22% response rate. Paternal postpartum depression was 19.6%(95% confidence interval [CI] = [15.4%, 24.3%]). It was significantly associated with history of depression (AOR = 4.4, 95% CI = [1.7, 10.9]), unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 4.7, 95% CI = [1.9, 11.3]), alcohol consumption (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI = [1.3, 7.4]), infant sleeping problem (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI = [1.1, 8.9]), and mode of delivery (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI = [1.3, 7.6]). This study concluded that paternal postpartum depression was high. The researchers recommended the inclusion of men's mental health services like screening into women's postnatal health care.

Support Needs, Barriers, and Facilitators for Fathers With Fear of Childbirth in Sweden: A Mixed-Method Study.

The aim of this mixed-method study was to identify support needs, as well as barriers and facilitators to seeking support in a sample of Swedish fathers with a fear of childbirth (FOC). Participants completed an anonymous quantitative online survey (N = 131), with three free-text items for those self-identifying as having an FOC (N = 71) and five individual in-depth interviews. Data analysis included descriptive and chi-square analyses for quantitative data, and manifest content analysis for qualitative data. Those with a severe FOC were more likely to report having on-going mental health difficulties (p = .039) and one fifth (21%) of the participants with severe FOC wanted to receive professional treatment, but only 8.1% received treatment. Most participants either preferred individual support or to receive support together with their partner. Fathers with severe FOC were more likely to report one or more barriers than those without FOC (p = .005), where unwanted social stigma was the single largest barrier. Qualitative findings identified one main category: Expectant fathers missing and wishing for support for FOC composed four generic categories: (1) support in developing an understanding of their fear, (2) coping by being aware of feelings, (3) professional support through trust and respect, and (4) needing individualized support. To encourage healthy fathers, clinical professionals should find ways to support fathers, such as by providing them with their own perinatal appointments, asking them about their feelings, as well as screening, diagnosing, and treating fathers with severe FOC.

NICU Warriors: Engaging and Promoting the Mental Health of Black Fathers.

Although newborn intensive care (NICU) research highlights the mental health and support needs of parents, a majority of the research and interventions focus on the needs of the mother. Engaging and partnering with male caregivers (like female caregivers) in the care of their NICU infants yields positive health outcomes for the infant and better mental health outcomes for the father. Yet there are few articles about male NICU caregiving experiences, and scant articles exploring the mental health and support needs of Black NICU fathers. Utilizing two case studies of Black fathers, this paper will identify their mental health needs. This article will outline and integrate the Recommendation for Psychosocial Support of NICU Families and existing literature to these case studies. Based on their unique needs, NICU providers must do more to engage Black fathers and explore alternative models of care that are culturally aware for psychosocial support.

Fatherhood and men's participation in antenatal care in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Men's participation is imperative for improving antenatal care (ANC) access and mother and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Research looking at improving men's participation in ANC often focuses on their instrumental and psychosocial roles and on biomedical ANC systems. There is limited understanding of how context-specific cultural experiences of fatherhood influence men's participation in ANC within broader communal support networks and across different ANC systems in SSA. Against this background, and to understand how local communities in SSA conceive men's participation in ANC, a scoping review will be undertaken to synthesise existing literature around local cultural experiences of fatherhood and men's participation in ANC in rural settings in SSA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The classical scoping review methodology developed by Arksey and O'Malley will be used to conduct the scoping review described above. Empirical studies published between 1 January 2000 and 31 August 2024 will be systematically searched for in key online databases (eg, PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, African Index Medicus, African Journals Online) and grey literature (eg, reports from key organisations like UNICEF and the WHO). Literature reviews, personal opinion articles and theoretical or conceptual articles that do not systematically analyse data, and non-English texts, will be excluded. Data will be extracted from the included texts in the form of study characteristics, which will be analysed using descriptive statistics, and key issues to be analysed thematically. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approvals are needed for this scoping review since data will be abstracted from already-published literature and no additional data will be collected. The findings will be shared with policymakers, practitioners, researchers, students and local communities through peer-reviewed journal publication(s), conference presentations, public lectures and policy-focused stakeholder and community meetings in and outside SSA.

A Bronx Dad's Tale.

In this narrative medicine essay, a neonatologist through the complex forces of intensive care physician, son, and ethicist grapples with the impending loss of his father and ultimately understanding his father's demand for autonomy in deciding his care.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Paternal Parenting Experience: A Scoping Review.

The objective of this scoping review was to map the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the paternal parenting experience. Studies published between January 2020 and October 2021 reporting on paternal mental health, interparental relations, and child interactions were eligible. Forty studies from 17 different countries were included. Most studies included data from both mothers and fathers (83%); five studies reported data from fathers only, and three examined same-sex partners. Most commonly reported outcomes included division of childcare activities (n = 14), delegation of household tasks (n = 10), depression (n = 12), and stress (n = 9). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fathers varied globally with no clear trends except for the division of childcare and household tasks, in which fathers increased their contribution to childcare and household tasks yet mothers continued to experience a higher domestic burden. Further research is recommended to advance our understanding of how fathers coped during the COVID-19 pandemic and document the long-term impact of the pandemic on families.

Mechanisms in the intergenerational effect of maternal childhood maltreatment on offspring externalizing symptoms: The role of maternal and paternal parenting.

BACKGROUND: Although maternal childhood maltreatment has been associated with offspring externalizing symptoms, little is known about the potential mechanisms that contribute to breaking the intergenerational effect of maternal childhood maltreatment. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to (a) investigate the intergenerational effect between maternal childhood maltreatment and offspring externalizing symptoms in the Chinese family; (b) examine maternal supportive and harsh parenting as potential mediators of this intergenerational effect; and (c) explore the moderating roles of paternal support parenting, as well as paternal harsh parenting, in this mediation process of maternal supportive and harsh parenting. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample consisted of 1111 mother-father-child triads from Beijing, recruited when the children were one and three years old. METHODS: Mothers completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and both parents completed the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment and Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Scale. RESULTS: Our results showed that maternal childhood maltreatment was a risk factor for offspring externalizing symptoms at T2 (ß = 0.24, t = 6.51, p < .001), and this effect was mediated by maternal supportive (indirect effect = 0.03, 95%CI = [0.02, 0.05]) and harsh parenting (indirect effect = 0.03, 95%CI = [0.02, 0.07]) at T1. Furthermore, paternal harsh parenting moderated the indirect effect of maternal childhood maltreatment on child externalizing symptoms through maternal supportive parenting. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding and provide valuable information for disrupting the intergenerational effect of maternal childhood maltreatment.

Environmental sensitivity moderates the longitudinal effect of fathers' positive parenting on mental disorders in Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to fathers' positive parenting has been associated reducing mental disorder symptoms during adolescence, evidence on the mechanisms underlying this association is lacking. One potential mechanism linking fathers' positive parenting and mental disorders is environmental sensitivity (ES). Here we studied whether the increased positive behaviors of both parents (1) separately, (2) relatively, (3) and jointly predict reduced depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, suicidal ideation (SI), and increased well-being in Chinese adolescents. Additionally we investigated (4) whether ES moderates these relationships. METHODS: This study involving 7010 Chinese adolescents (55.6 % girls) aged 15 to 18 from six junior high schools in Shaanxi, China was conducted at four timepoints. ES was assessed using the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale at ages 15 and 16, parental positive behaviors using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) at ages 16 and 17, and psychopathology symptoms using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI) Inventory at ages 17 and 18. RESULTS: (1) Multilevel analyses revealed that increased positive parenting predicted reduced psychiatric disorder symptoms and improved well-being; (2) trend interaction indicated that the compensatory effect of fathers' positive parenting was stronger in alleviating mental problems in adolescents than that of mothers'; (3) Simple slope analyses suggested that both high levels of fathers' and mothers' positive parenting predicted fewer subsequent psychiatric disorder symptoms, particularly for sensitive adolescents. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to its generalizability to the Western Chinese adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial differences in the effects of positive paternal and maternal parenting highlight the important role of fathers' positive parenting in mental development, especially for highly sensitive adolescents.

Psychometric properties of the toddler feeding style questionnaire in fathers and its gender invariance.

Parental feeding practices and behaviours are closely related to a number of child outcomes, including eating behaviour and health. The Toddler Feeding Style Questionnaire (TFSQ) was developed to provide an accurate instrument for evaluating parental feeding practices for toddlers by assessing two dimensions: responsiveness and demandingness. As the initial validation study was conducted in a sample of mothers only, the aims of this study are: a) to validate the TFSQ in fathers, b) to analyse its measurement invariance as a function of gender and parenting experience and c) to explore associations between socio-demographic variables and both dimensions. The TFSQ was completed by 377 fathers and 583 mothers. CFA confirmed the two-factor structure within the same items as the initial validation study, with good model fit indices (X2 = 230.089; TLI = 0.883; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.08 (90% CI 0.068-0.092), SRMR = 0.070). Strict invariance measurement in terms of gender and parenting experience was achieved. Overall, fathers scored higher than mothers on demandingness, regardless of their parenting experience. Primiparous mothers scored higher than multiparous mothers and primiparous fathers on the responsiveness dimension. However, there were no gender-based differences on this dimension for parents with more than one child. These results confirm that the TFSQ is an adequate and validated instrument for assessing parenting dimensions, as it performs equally well for mothers and fathers, regardless of their parenting experience. There is also support for the notion that parental attitudes to feeding may be related to their socio-economic background.

Father Engagement in Home Visiting: Findings From a Continuous Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative.

The present study describes the efforts of a home visiting (HV) continuous quality improvement learning collaborative aimed at increasing father engagement in HV and parenting. Local implementing agencies (n   = 11) delivering 3 evidence-based HV models participated in the collaborative. Each agency developed and implemented 3 rapid-cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) projects to increase father engagement. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound (SMART) aims were used to guide development of change strategies and meaningful measurement goals. HV providers collected data from enrolled families (n   = 714) about fathers' level of parenting and HV involvement. Mean father engagement scores increased 39% from the first to the second assessment and over 60% of the PDSAs met or exceeded their SMART aim goal. Data suggest that fathers are open to participating in HV and are responsive to parenting guidance. In the current paper, we share engagement strategies and lessons learned during the collaborative.

Paternal Preconception Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Risk of Congenital Heart Disease in Offspring.

Importance: Previous evidence suggests that maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during prepregnancy or pregnancy is associated with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in offspring. However, the association of paternal HBV infection with CHDs is not well examined. Objective: To explore the association of paternal preconception HBV infection with CHDs in offspring. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used propensity score matching of data from the Chinese National Free Preconception Checkup Project (NFPCP) from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018. Male participants whose wives were aged 20 to 49 years, were uninfected with HBV, and successfully conceived within 1 year after prepregnancy examination were enrolled. Data were analyzed from March 2023 to February 2024. Exposures: The primary exposure was paternal preconception HBV infection status, including uninfected, previous infection (both serum hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B envelope antigen negative), and new infection (serum hepatitis B surface antigen positive). Maternal HBV immune status was further classified as immune or susceptible. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was CHDs, which were collected from the birth defect registration card of the NFPCP. Logistic regression with robust error variances was used to estimate the association between paternal preconception HBV infection and CHDs in offspring. Results: A total of 6 675 540 couples participated in the NFPCP service. After matching husbands with and without preconception HBV infection in a 1:4 ratio, 3 047 924 couples (median age of husbands, 27 years [IQR, 25-30 years]) were included in this study. Of these couples, 0.025% had offspring with CHDs. Previous paternal HBV infection was independently associated with CHDs in offspring (adjusted relative risk [ARR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.11-1.76) compared with no infection. Similar results were obtained in subgroup analyses according to maternal HBV immune status. Compared with couples with uninfected husbands and susceptible wives, the risk of CHDs in offspring among couples with previously HBV-infected husbands was similar in couples with wives with susceptible immune status (ARR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.10-2.03) and in those with wives with immunity (ARR, 1.49; 95%CI, 1.07-2.09). A significantly higher CHD risk in offspring was found among couples with newly infected husbands and immune wives (ARR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.05-1.82), but there was no difference in risk among those with newly infected husbands and susceptible wives (ARR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.72-1.36). No interactions were found between maternal immune status and paternal HBV infection. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study using propensity score matching, previous paternal preconception HBV infection was associated with CHD risk in offspring. The findings suggest that personalized reproductive guidance regarding HBV screening and staying free of HBV infection should be provided for both wives and husbands.

Paternal obesity decreases infant MSC mitochondrial functional capacity.

Besides the well-recognized influence of maternal health on fetal in utero development, recent epidemiological studies appoint paternal preconception metabolic health as a significant factor in shaping fetal metabolic programming and subsequently offspring metabolic health; however, mechanisms behind these adaptations remain confined to animal models. To elucidate the effects of paternal obesity (P-OB) on infant metabolism in humans, we examined mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which give rise to infant tissue, remain involved in mature tissue maintenance, and resemble the phenotype of the offspring donor. Here, we assessed mitochondrial functional capacity, content, and insulin action in MSC from infants of fathers with overweight [body mass index (BMI: 25-30 kg/m2); paternal overweight (P-OW)] or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; P-OB) while controlling for maternal intrauterine environment. Compared with P-OW, infant MSCs in the P-OB group had lower intact cell respiration, OXPHOS, and electron transport system capacity, independent of any changes in mitochondrial content. Furthermore, glucose handling, insulin action, lipid content, and oxidation were similar between groups. Importantly, infants in the P-OB group had a greater weight-to-length ratio, which could be in part due to changes in MSC metabolic functioning, which precedes and, therefore, influences infant growth trajectories. These data suggest that P-OB negatively influences infant MSC mitochondria. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03838146.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Paternal obesity decreases infant mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) basal and maximal respiration. Lower OXPHOS and electron transport system capacity could be explained by lower complex I and IV respiratory capacity but not changes in OXPHOS expression in infant MSC from fathers with obesity. Paternal obesity and altered MSC mitochondrial functional capacity are associated with a greater infant weight-to-length ratio at birth.