DadTalk

How Being a Dad Changes a Man's Health

We have long been obsessed with how women’s bodies and health are altered by motherhood — what it does to their hormones, brain power, relationships and even their risk of cancer and other diseases.

But while men might not go through the physical process of childbirth, a growing body of evidence suggests they, too, experience physical and psychological transformations when they become fathers.

Last month, a study of 624 men found their testosterone levels dropped by one third when their children are born. The researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago said this drop causes men to become less aggressive and display a more caring side.

‘While pregnancy causes profound changes in women, this is more subtle level in men,’ says Dr Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield.

Dr Craig Garfield, an assistant professor of paediatrics at Northwestern University, says: ‘We’re just beginning to understand the contributions fatherhood makes to men’s health. Some research seems to show benefits, while some shows risks. It’s exciting.’

Here, experts reveal the surprising effects fatherhood has on the male body and brain.

Read the rest of the article from The Daily Mail.