The research is based on the health and habits of men in Sweden, the first country to give new fathers paid time off work.

Experts say encouraging men to take time off when their chid is born may help to close the gender gap in longevity. At the moment, men live on average five to seven years fewer than women.

The reasons behind that are not clear, but one theory is that men who are close to their children take better care of their own health. This might mean that they eat healthier foods, drink less, visit the doctor more often or simply take fewer risks in life.

Another theory is that making time for family activities cuts stress levels.

"Strategies aimed at less gender stereotypical expectations on what a man 'should do' are on the whole likely to benefit male health, and potentially reduce the gender gap in longevity, said the researchers, from Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, who studied 72,000 fathers.

How to decide on a paternity leave?
Paternity leave can be scheduled both before and after a birth, for varying amounts of time. In some nations, parents are specifically entitled to parental leave, and they cannot be penalised in any way for requesting leave in a timely fashion. Since birth can be unpredictable, parents usually try to schedule leave with some wiggle room so that they will be home at the right time. In some regions, people are entitled to full or partial pay during their parental leave, and benefits such as health care continue through the leave.

In areas where paternity leave is not guaranteed by law, some proactive employers provide specific measures for leave, reflecting the fact that parenting is important to many people. In other instances, an employee may need to negotiate with an employer to obtain leave to care for a new child, and the employee may be forced to take a limited time off with no pay. Other employers may be willing to carry over vacation and sick days to accommodate a new father who wants to spend some time at home.

Expecting fathers should definitely do their research ahead of time, and they should coordinate leave requests with their partners, discussing pros and cons of taking leave at the same time, or staggering leave to keep a parent at home with the child for as long as possible. It is also a good idea to talk to an employer as soon as possible about a pregnancy and pending request for paternity leave, so that arrangements can be made.

Pic: Benjamin Earwicker