Fathers can significantly improve their babies’ chances of survival by being involved during pregnancy, a new study has found.
Babies whose fathers aren’t present are nearly four times as likely to die in their first year, according to researchers from the University of South Florida.
These children were also found to be more likely to be born early, have low birth weights and be small for their age, the UK’s Daily Mail reported.
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The research, published in the Journal of Community Health, follows previous studies in which a father’s involvement in his child’s early development was shown to benefit later academic achievement. The Florida study points to a link between paternal influence and development pre-birth.
“Our study suggests that lack of paternal involvement during pregnancy is an important and potentially modifiable risk factor for infant mortality,” study author Professor Amina Alio said.
The researchers looked at the records of all births in Florida between 1998 and 2005 (more than 1.39 million live births) and identified a father’s involvement by whether he was named on the birth certificate. Although this is not an accurate guide to levels of engagement during pregnancy, previous studies have shown that being named on a birth certificate usually indicates a certain level of involvement.
The researchers also found:
Paternal support could decrease the mother’s emotional stress.
A father’s involvement reduced the risk of complications.
The mothers of fatherless babies were more at risk of suffering from anaemia, chronic high blood pressure and eclampsia.
Women with absent fathers were more likely to smoke during pregnancy.
And a father’s involvement could reduce the need for costly medical treatments and reduce the risk of infant mortality.
“When fathers are involved, children thrive in school and in their development. So, it should be no surprise that when fathers are present in the lives of pregnant mothers, babies fare much better,” Professor Alio said.
Australia has an infant mortality rate of 4.75 per 1000 live births, which is low in world terms, according to the CIA World Factbook. By contrast, the south-central African country of Angola has a rate of 180.20 per 1000.
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