First-time fathers face weighty health risks

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How childbirth affects a father’s well-being is not widely known, though many researchers have emphasized the danger of post-natal depression for mothers.

But men commonly suffer weight gain, fatigue and mental problems after becoming first-time dads.

Researchers at Northwestern University in the U.S. have tracked the weight of more than 10,000 men for up to 20 years.

They found many gained weight after their first child. Those who did not live with the child also gained an average of 1.5 kilograms after becoming a first-time father.

Increased weight leads to a higher risk of severe illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Men are also at a higher prostate cancer risk after becoming a first-time father, according to a 2008 study published in the journal Cancer.

Researcher Carrie Wendel-Hummell, from the University of Kansas, advises men to take special care of their mental health because becoming a father changes one’s life drastically.