More paternity leave could lead to dads living longer

New research is suggesting that fathers who take paternity leave when their child is born could live longer.

Based on fathers in Sweden, the first country to introduce paternity leave, when a new dad takes two months off following the baby’s birth, it reduced his chances of dying prematurely by almost 25%.

The reasons for the findings are not clear but could be down to new fathers eating healthier, taking fewer risks and having less stress as a result of making more time for the family.

The researchers, from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute, say that “strategies aimed at less gender stereotypical expectations” are more likely to benefit male health.

Paternity leave in the UK is limited to two weeks but Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said that the coalition government will allow mothers and fathers to split their time off.