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Women know that what they put into their body while pregnant directly affects their baby. For years women have been told to avoid alcohol, never to smoke, and to watch what they eat.

Until now, men have never had to worry about any of their habits but new research is showing that the father's health is more essential to a healthy baby than we may know.

A recent study is showing evidence that fathers who smoke put their child at an increased risk for brain tumours. This study was published by the European Journal of Cancer prevention and it found that men who were smokers before the baby was conceived had children with a much higher risk of a Central Nervous System tumour-especially the most common type of brain tumour called astrocytomas. Interestingly enough, the same was not true for women who smoked before conception. Researchers believe that cigarettes affect the sperm of a man by mutating it. Also, when women are subjected to second or even third hand smoke, the chemicals can cross the placenta and affect the unborn baby&undefined;s DNA. Not only does second hand smoke exposure potentially cause brain tumours in the baby, but when a mother is exposed to it, it decreases her blood flow which deprives the baby of oxygen. This can lead to a low birth weight. Other studies show that mothers exposed to second hand smoke during pregnant have children with poorer attention spans.

In order to ensure your baby&undefined;s health, both women and men thinking about having a child should stop smoking immediately. Smoking can not only potentially harm a fetus but is extremely detrimental to your own health is the leading cause of preventable death in the world.