UH Mānoa Docs Tell Hawaiʻi Dads Their Health Can Make or Break Baby’s Start

UH Mānoa researchers have a blunt message for future fathers in Hawaiʻi: your health history is not just your business, it can shape your partner's pregnancy and your baby's start in life.

An international review led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientists argues that a father's health and life story play a major role in pregnancy and infant outcomes. Early-life stress, chronic disease, substance use and even age are all linked to how a partner fares during pregnancy and to direct biological effects on a developing fetus. The authors say this evidence should flip preconception care from a "women-only" checklist to a shared responsibility at the couple and community level.

The review was led by Jonathan Huang, an assistant professor in UH Mānoa's Department of Public Health Sciences, with Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula listed among the co-authors, according to University of Hawaiʻi News. University representatives say the work, published in The Lancet, lays out a framework that pulls together biological, behavioral and social science research. Huang told University of Hawaiʻi News that "the more we look, the more we find important contributions from fathers," adding that some paternal effects rival those seen on the maternal side.

What the review found

The paper traces how a man's childhood experiences and adult health can show up later in sperm biology, the support he provides his partner and, ultimately, infant development. That picture lines up with a recent scoping review in PLOS Global Public Health, which reported links between paternal metabolic health, substance use and environmental exposures and congenital anomalies. Taken together, the findings back a push to expand preconception counseling and prevention so they clearly include men, not just women.

Why it matters in Hawaiʻi

Kaholokula, who chairs UH's Department of Native Hawaiian Health, is calling for approaches that speak directly to kāne in ways that feel familiar and respectful. He points to the traditional Hale Mua as a model for mentorship and emotional support, telling University of Hawaiʻi News that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men often respond better to community-rooted programs than to standard Western-style interventions. Local advocates say that centering kuleana, strong family ties and culturally grounded gathering spaces could boost men's use of preventive care and help narrow intergenerational health gaps.

What public health officials should do

The researchers recommend that clinicians, public health agencies and community groups treat preconception health as a life-course issue that explicitly includes boys and men. Behind the scenes, work is already underway to standardize how that readiness is measured. The International Core Indicators for Preconception Health and Equity (iCIPHE) Alliance is developing a core set of surveillance indicators, according to the iCIPHE Alliance. Tailoring those indicators for Hawaiʻi, the authors say, could help the state target resources and design programs that reach men long before they become fathers.

The review appears in The Lancet, and UH Mānoa has also produced a video summary and soundbites for local audiences. For readers interested in the broader evidence base, the scoping review in PLOS Global Public Health explores paternal preconception exposures in more detail.