Tag Archives: fathers

Enhancing Identification of Postnatal Depression in Fathers: Key Strategies and Insights

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International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on March 8, serves as a pivotal occasion within the “Awareness Calendar”—a framework for raising awareness about diverse global issues. Nevertheless, a common male response to IWD is, “When is International Men’s Day?” The answer, November 19, aims to highlight men’s challenges, including abuse, homelessness, suicide, and violence.

This dismissal of IWD underscores the persistent stigma surrounding men’s mental health. While societal attitudes towards mental health have evolved positively, men still struggle to express their issues openly. Statistics indicate that women are significantly more likely to discuss their mental health challenges.

A major reason for this disparity is the widespread misunderstanding about men’s mental health. Research shows that approximately 40% of people are unaware that men can experience postpartum depression. This is hardly surprising given prevailing societal norms surrounding parenting, which tend to prioritize the mother’s experience, often neglecting the father’s emotional state despite their increasing presence during delivery.

“ 40% of individuals are unaware that men can also experience postpartum depression “

Viewing mental health through a zero-sum lens is erroneous; extensive efforts are still required to comprehend how depression can manifest differently in men. Frequently, symptoms are characterized by withdrawal and risk-taking rather than overt sadness. While International Men’s Day aims to raise awareness, mere acknowledgment is insufficient. It is crucial for healthcare systems to prioritize mental health equally alongside physical health.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

How Does Society Respond to Babies with Two Genetic Fathers?

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James Watson, a Nobel Prize-winning co-discussor of the DNA double helix, remarked in 1974, “All hell is unleashed politically and morally around the globe” regarding the potential of human in vitro fertilization.

Today, more than 12 million individuals are expecting through IVF, and the world seems relatively calm. Many of us may not have fully grasped this procedure.

Yet, what about our perceptions of future reproductive technologies? This question is sparked by the recent birth of a fertile mouse with two genetic fathers. While similar experiments have previously led to the creation of both motherless and fatherless mice, this new method is notable as it does not involve genetic alterations. Typically, this could also be applicable for human use.

Various obstacles, including low success rates and the removal of DNA from numerous human eggs, explain why such advancements aren’t imminent. Nonetheless, it is essential to begin contemplating the societal implications.

For some, the notion of a child having two genetic fathers may never be accepted, just as there remains criticism towards gay couples expanding their families. Changing such perspectives may prove challenging, if not impossible.

Like IVF, what used to be front-page news could eventually become routine.

However, one can expect a broader public to exhibit a strict moral opposition to this idea, along with a general sense of unease. The inaugural child born from this method is, in many ways, distinct from all previous human beings. IVF-born children come into existence through a process unimaginable to our ancestors but continue to carry the genetic lineage from one male and one female ancestor.

Is this significant? Just like IVF, what was once front-page news may soon be commonplace. In a time when reproductive and trans rights are being restricted in the U.S., engaging in objective discourse about emerging technologies presents a greater challenge. Fortunately, these questions do not require immediate answers.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Main Biological Breakthrough: Two Fathers and a Mouse

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In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, a mouse with two male parents has successfully reached adulthood.

Researchers utilized embryo stem cell engineering to accomplish this milestone by accurately correcting an important gene involved in reproduction. Double-headed mouse.

This innovative method has allowed scientists to overcome previously insurmountable barriers in reproducing single-identified mammals.

In previous experiments, using two male mice resulted in genetic issues during fertilization, leading to severe congenital defects and early termination of mouse embryo development.

However, the researchers of this new study suspected that these genetic issues were caused by “imprinted” genes, which are inherited from both male and female parents.

“The unique characteristics of imprinted genes have led scientists to believe they are the fundamental barriers to mammal reproduction,” said Research co-author Professor Qi Zhou.

“Even in the artificial creation of a two-cell embryo or double-headed embryo, they were unable to develop properly and stalled at a certain point due to these genes.”

Based on this theory, researchers altered 20 important imprinted genes using various methods before implanting the modified embryos into surrogate mothers.

Their findings revealed that these genetic edits not only allowed for the creation of double-headed mice but also enabled them to survive to adulthood.

“These discoveries offer compelling evidence that imprinted abnormalities are the primary barriers in mammals,” said co-author Professor Guan Zan Ruo from SUN YAT-SEN University.

“This approach greatly advances the manipulation of embryo stem cells and cloned animals, paving the way for progress in regenerative medicine.”

However, researchers noted that only 11.8% of surviving embryos successfully developed to birth, and some did not survive to adulthood due to developmental disorders.

In fact, most of the adult mice displayed abnormal growth and lifespan, and the surviving mice were infertile.

The team is actively working to address these issues by investigating whether altering a specific gene can improve embryo development. They also plan to extend their research to include larger animals like monkeys, though the use of this technology in humans remains uncertain.

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  • Male mice transformed into females using previously considered “junk” DNA.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Only 1 in 100 fathers discover their child is not biologically related

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Fundamental biological reality means that a birth mother can be certain that she is genetically related to her child (aside from the case of surrogacy or egg donor IVF).

On the other hand, paternity cannot be accurately known without genetic testing. This can lead to false paternity attribution, where a man unknowingly raises a child not genetically related to himself, or fraud regarding paternity if the man is deceived into such a situation.

In some cases, relationship conflicts may prompt men to have their children undergo genetic testing. Additionally, with the increase in consumer genetic testing for ancestry and health conditions, more men are incidentally testing today.

According to data from a paternity testing company in the United States in 2004, 28% of fathers were not biologically related to their children.

However, Australian academic Professor Michael Gilding argued that this data was biased as it only targeted men with doubts about their paternity. He suggested a more realistic figure of about 3%, based on accompanying data from genetic and medical studies.

It is difficult to accurately measure the proportion of children who are not biologically related to their fathers – Credit: Maskot

Recent data from a US study published in 2022 found that 7% of users discovered they had paternity inaccuracies.

Similarly, a genetic sampling study in the Netherlands in 2017 estimated that just under 1% of fathers were unknowingly genetically unrelated to their children. A recent Swedish study with over 2 million families suggested that this number is around 1.7% and decreasing.

While these recent numbers are lower than earlier claims, they still indicate a significant impact on some men and children.

This article addresses the question, “How many fathers are unknowingly raising children who are not biologically theirs?” (submitted via email by Dave Shaw).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com