People could be experiencing stress and trauma because their fathers did before they were conceived, Luke O’Neill has said.
The research was published in Molecular Psychiatry and details how life experience physically changes men’s sperm.
On The Pat Kenny Show, Trinity Professor Luke O’Neill said 58 men had been involved in the study, all of whom had endured “various types of trauma” during their youth.
“The bottom line is, life experience changes sperm,” Prof O’Neill said.
“They measured their sperm and saw their sperm had been marked in a different way because of the childhood trauma.
“The question now is, will those marks pass onto the next generation when the sperm fertilises the eggs. Two of the genes that were marked were tied into brain development.
“So, you can imagine, if that goes into foetus, the baby’s brain might develop differently and increase the risk of having stress or trauma - you never know.”
A stressed woman at her desk. Picture by: Kateryna Onyshchuk / Alamy Stock Photo. Prof O’Neill said there are a number of other environmental factors that can negatively impact on the development of a baby.
“There was a massive famine in Holland because of World War II,” he said.
“Mothers who were malnourished, their offsprings were at higher risk of diabetes, of heart disease and of schizophrenia for years.”
Close up of woman smoking cigarette. Picture by: Image Source / Alamy Stock PhotoThere are also good reasons why women are advised not to smoke or drink while pregnant.
“Alcohol and smoking definitely modify the DNA,” he said.
“Anything environmental does really; heavy smokers have a lot more marks than light smokers.
“So, we know now these environmental things are influencing DNA.
“The question is, if it’s a gene that could cause cancer, you can see now why smoking might promote cancer - because it’s turning that gene on.”
The HSE provides free support to anyone looking to quit smoking.
Main image shows a split of Luke O'Neill and a stressed woman. Picture by Alamy.com
