The influence of paternal preconception health on neonatal live birth and stillbirth outcomes: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION

While evidence exists related to the impact of maternal preconception health on live birth and stillbirth outcomes, there is a lack of evidence on the role of paternal preconception health.

OBJECTIVE

To identify, consolidate, and analyze the literature on paternal preconception health related to live births and stillbirths.

DATA SOURCES: Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL databases were searched from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2024.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: A scoping review was conducted following JBI methodology. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. Data extraction was performed using a standardized form in Covidence.

STUDY APPRAISAL & SYNTHESIS

METHODS

Paternal health was synthesized into physical well-being, substance use, environmental exposures, mental health, and treatment effects.

RESULTS

Of the 7690 articles identified in the search, 39 studies were deemed eligible, with 31 articles reporting on live birth and ten on stillbirth. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 19, 48.7 %), followed by China (n = 7, 17.9 %). There was a general dearth of studies to conclude any impact of paternal preconception health on live birth and stillbirth rates. Rather, findings were either mixed or limited to one or two studies per category. There were also several outcomes with no studies identified, indicating gaps in the literature as it relates to these paternal preconception health and live birth and stillbirth rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the limited number of studies and mixed findings, the impact of paternal preconception health on live births and stillbirth rates is unknown. These preliminary findings indicate an area ripe for future research.