Dads

Everyone knows a pregnant woman shouldn’t drink, smoke, sniff glue, or take part in any number of colorful habits that can damage a fetus. But nobody talks about what Daddy contributes to the genetic pot, says a well-researched piece in Miller-McCune magazine, which surveys the many studies that show how various substances damage sperm and wonder: “Why don’t more people know about this?”

The meat of “The Bad Daddy Factor”: “Scientists also showed that it didn’t require industrial-strength chemicals to wreak havoc on men’s sperm. Smokers seemed to produce sperm with the wrong number of chromosomes, a DNA error that could lead to miscarriages or Down syndrome. (A stunning 2008 paper revealed that men with deficiencies in folate, that superstar maternal vitamin, had the same problem.) Paternal smoking has also been linked to childhood cancer, and even alcohol and caffeine can cause sperm abnormalities that derail child development.

We now know that what started as an inconceivable mystery — how could men’s environments and lifestyles possibly affect the children they would later father? — has not just one but several answers. Certain substances interfere with the earliest phase of sperm production in the testes, prompting errors in cell division that lead to genetic mutations in immature sperm cells. Chemicals can also cause what are known as epigenetic mutations, which don’t change the DNA sequence itself but alter how the body reads these genetic instructions. Essentially, an epigenetic change involves turning certain genes on or off, telling the body to pay more or less attention to the code they contain. (If genetic changes are akin to changing the lyrics of a song, epigenetic changes are like fiddling with the volume.)

Drugs can also interfere with sperm transport. A 2009 study revealed that a standard dose of paroxetine — the active drug in the antidepressant marketed as Paxil — causes a fivefold increase in the number of men who show evidence of “sperm fragmentation,” which can increase the chances of miscarriage. Researchers have known that certain antidepressants can influence ejaculatory response; it turns out that they seem to slow the transportation of sperm through the male reproductive system, causing the cells to age prematurely. ‘Sperm are being damaged because they’re not traveling properly through the body,’ says Peter Schlegel, who led the study and is a urologist at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College.”

Shhh! Do you hear that? It’s the sound of a bunch of moms-to-be demanding their husbands quit smoking.

He makes sperm, he makes pancakes, he makes your family complete. Treat him with something he’ll really like this year.

iPod Lamp (pictured): You didn’t even know you needed it until you saw it! A snazzy iPod dock with built speakers. And built in light. This one’s going on Daddy’s side of the bed.

Bacon of the Month Club: Grateful Palate’s monthly bacon delivery is a well-known foodie’s delight. Each month several packages of artisanal bacon arrive at your door. And not just any bacon. This is bacon so fancy it’s been “curated,” by a food writer and bacon enthusiast John Philips, who each year tries dozens of varieties to hand-pick the best for the club.

GeekDad: The book for dads who like to build weird stuff with their kids! Dad and kinder can learn, with the help of this tome, to build a video system that flies on balloons, a customized board game, Ethernet cufflinks, and a super-powered Slip ‘n’ Slide.

Now this is the kind of research you love to quote - a new study says that when a dad shares in the housework, he gets along better with his spouse/significant other. (But you already knew this!)

ManoftheHouse.com* found that of the 1,000 dads surveyed, 91% said their relationships were better when they pitched in around the house. This poll is the latest in a growing body of research suggesting that dad helping = a better marriage. In a Pew Research Center survey, sharing household chores now ranks third in importance in a list of items typically associated with successful marriages. Only faithfulness and a happy sexual relationship outrank housework. The “chores” item beat out perennial faves - adequate income, and shared tastes and interests.

A study published in the Journal of Family Issues late last year revealed that husbands and wives who spend more hours helping with chores reported more frequent sex (with their spouses).

You just love it when the numbers are on your side.

*The ManoftheHouse.com survey was conducted by Kelton Research. ManoftheHouse.com is a new Web site from Procter & Gamble Productions and is run in partnership with Barefoot Proximity, a global interactive and CRM network.

Dad has enough ties, and he doesn’t want some stupid T-shirt, either. Other than sexytimes with Mom, quiet time from his offspring, and breakfast in bed today, in fact, there’s really nothing Dad wants that he can’t buy for himself. Except, that is, the warm gooey feeling he would get by trading in his Father’s Day gift privilege on something that could change another family’s life.

Such as, for instance, a goat. For a mere $75, international charity World Vision will donate a dairy goat to a poor family. Easy-to-raise dairy goats give up to 16 cups of milk a day, milk that’s easily digested by hungry children, or which can be made into nutritious cheese or yogurt. Extra milk can be sold at market, as can any baby goats produced. And, back in America, Dad feels good on Father’s Day and all year ’round.

Not a goat enthusiast? World Vision offers many types of gifts, such as the New Mother Care Kit for $77 (bassinet, diapers, and other new-baby gear), drought-resistant seeds for farmers for a mere $17, and a month of tutoring for an urban elementary school student in the U.S., a bargain at $55.

Goat donation from World Vision, $75

Let’s be honest. Shopping for men can be sort of boring. But that doesn’t mean the present you get him should reflect that sentiment.

The book Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World is filled with conversation gems and water-cooler material sure to appeal to anyone who has a healthy appetite for trivia. Author Wilson Casey, a.k.a. The Trivia Guy, has compiled over 500 “firsts.” Below is a sampling of some of his more amusing items:

-The first Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition was published in 1964.

-King Minos of Crete has the dubious distinction of owning the first indoor flushing toilet.

-The first area code ever assigned in the U.S. (for use by telephone customers) was 201. Go Jersey!

-In 1891, Brooklyn was the home of the first mechanical slot machine.

-The first known sandwich was made in Jerusalem.

-The first “mechanically presliced packaged bread” was available in 1928.

-The first vasectomy was performed on a dog in 1823. Seventy-six years later, the first such “notable” procedure was done (voluntarily!) on a 19-year-old inmate.

-The first e-mail was sent in 1971.

So when it comes to obscure, minimally useful facts, father knows best.

Available at amazon.com.

It’s pretty easy to find mommy-and-me clothing, particularly if you’re into dressing like one of Santa’s helpers or some kind of gingham prairie girl. Daddy/kid matching clothing is a heck of a lot rarer; probably because Daddy won’t put up with looking like a giant tool.

Footsteps Clothing, however, a manufacturer with a specialty in kid-and-parent clothing, makes an excellent line of T-shirts in kid, infant, and adult sizes. Cutest of all: the Lucky Dad/Lucky Kid shirts, plain T’s in mod colors, emblazoned with the legend “Lucky Dad” or “Lucky Kid.” Here is a Father’s Day or birthday gift that won’t molder in the back of the shirt drawer.

Lucky Dad/Lucky Kid T-shirts, $10-24

You’ve seen him once or twice at the playground — the totally involved and evolved stay-at-home dad. Who is this thoroughly modern man, and what makes him tick?

The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home Dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting Are Transforming the American Family, offers a look into the changing world of fatherhood today. Inspired by author Jeremy Smith’s year spent at home with his young son, this book investigates the stories of a diverse group of dads who have embraced care giving and egalitarian marriages, from both a social and economic standpoint.

How 2009.

Available at beacon.org.

No more ties this Father’s Day — you’re looking for something a little more intellectual.

Humor, insight and truth — any new dad wants to hear the real deal from those who have been there, done that. That’s why The Book of Dads gathered top writers like Neal Pollack, Nick Flynn and Darin Strauss to share their advice, insights, ruminations and anecdotes about the world of fatherhood. Edited by Ben George (of the literary journal Ecotone), this anthology includes poignant stories like “The Night Shift,” a lyrical recounting of the first few years author Ben Fountain spent in the dark with his young children.

No matter what the experience, he’s not alone.

Available at amazon.com.

This Father’s Day, you want to initiate your favorite dad-to-be into the club — too bad he’s a nervous wreck about holding a newborn.

Comic and filmmaker Chris Mancini explores impending fatherhood in his new book Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked-Out New Dad. The Los Angeles-based pop presents a modern take on what to expect from a male perspective (Mr. Spock vs. Dr. Spock). This play-by-play for dads, from pregnancy and delivery to the adjustment period and the infant years, includes anecdotes from the author’s time in the trenches that will quell the nerves of many fathers-to-be.

Available at amazon.com.

Your DS loves watching Daddy get dressed in the morning, but an Armani tie is not a toy.

Get him his own: Blume’s new Little Man collection will prepare him for the corner office while he’s still crawling. The soft tees, available in corporate colors like navy, black and grey, feature real striped ties that make for a totally hipster-meets-hedge fund vibe (sizes 6 months to 10). And if Barneys has them in stock, they’re sure to be the next big thing in boyland.

That and, well, dirt.

Available at blumegirl.com.