Multiple studies confirm the importance of a woman’s health, including diet and weight, when she becomes pregnant. There is a direct connection between the mother’s health and the size of the baby at birth. But the father’s health also plays a role. Researchers in Brazil found the higher a father’s body mass index, the lower the baby’s birthweight, as evidence of the father’s importance in the baby’s health and development. The study confirms that if the father-to-be is overweight, changes may occur in the structure and quality of his sperm, which in-turn may affect the DNA of his children. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, reinforces the idea that birth health and development of the baby is linked to both parents.