Father Involvement in Pregnancy and Postnatal Care: Combined Perspectives of Fathers, Mothers, and Service Providers.
Alice Small, Shane A Kavanagh, Jacqui A Macdonald and 2 others
PMID 40254548WHAT IT FOUND
Fathers, mothers and service providers described perinatal services as centred on mothers and children, making some fathers feel secondary.
Participants suggested father-specific education, flexible attendance and attention to paternal mental health, while cautioning that fathers should not always be present.
Key findings
01Fathers, mothers and service providers said perinatal services are mainly oriented to mothers and children, which could make fathers feel secondary.
02Practical barriers to father attendance included appointments during business hours, workplace constraints and COVID-19 restrictions, while flexible work and remote options helped some fathers participate.
03Participants proposed father-specific education, flexible resources and attention to fathers' mental health as ways to support involvement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 4 fathers were included, and they were all first-time fathers with long leave, so views may not represent fathers with different work or family circumstances. Parents were recruited by convenience and were already highly engaged in parenting or services, which may bias toward supportive views. Service providers came from services already oriented to father inclusion, so less supportive provider views may be missing. Parent data were collected in 2022-2023 and provider data in 2018-2019, so experiences of COVID-19 restrictions and service changes differ across groups. The study reports perspectives, not measured effects of father involvement on family health.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that including fathers improves family outcomes or that all mothers want their partner present. This is a qualitative study of perspectives from a small, highly engaged parent sample and providers already working in father-inclusive services, and participants said father presence can be unsafe when intimate partner violence is a concern.