Top

Published in:

01-05-2011

Addressing Policy Barriers to Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy

Authors: Amina P. Alio, M. Jermane Bond, Yolanda C. Padilla, Joel J. Heidelbaugh, Michael Lu, Willie J. Parker

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 4/2011

Abstract

Efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States have failed to incorporate paternal involvement. Research suggests that paternal involvement, which has been recognized as contributing to child development and health for many decades, is likely to affect infant mortality through the mother’s well-being, primarily her access to resources and support. In spite of that, systemic barriers facing the father and the influence on his involvement in the pregnancy have received little attention. The Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes (CPIPO) has identified the most important social barriers to paternal involvement during pregnancy and outlined a set of key policy priorities aimed at fostering paternal involvement. This article summarizes the key recommendations, including equitable paternity leave, elimination of marriage as a tax and public assistance penalty, integration of fatherhood initiatives in MCH programs, support of low-income fathers through employment training, father inclusion in family planning services, and expansion of birth data collection to include father information.

Heron, M., Hoyert, D. L., Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., Kochanek, K. D., & Tejada-Vera, B. (2009). Deaths: final data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57(14), 1–135.PubMed

Hummer, R. A., Powers, D. A., Pullum, S. G., Gossman, G. L., & Frisbie, W. P. (2007). Paradox found (again): Infant mortality among the Mexican-origin population in the United States. Demography, 44(3), 441–457.PubMedCrossRef

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, January 13). CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report—United States, 2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Supplement/Volume 60. Retrieved on February 25, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6001.pdf.

Braveman, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011). The social determinants of health: Coming of age. Annual Review of Public Health, 32, 3.1–3.18.CrossRef

Health Disparities, National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities. (2009). Retrieved on February 25, 2011, from http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/.

Alio, A. P., Mbah, A.K., Kornosky, J.L., Wathington, D., Marty, P.J., & Salihu, H.M. (2010). Assessing the impact of paternal involvement on racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality rates. Journal of Community Health [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1007/s10900-010-9280-3.

Alio, A. P., Kornosky, J. L., Mbah, A. K., Marty, P. J., & Salihu, H. M. (2009). The impact of paternal involvement on feto-infant morbidity among whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Maternal and Child Health Journal [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1007/s10995-009-0482-1.

Gaudino, J. A., Jenkins, B., & Rochat, R. W. (1999). No fathers’ names: A risk factor for infant mortality in the state of Georgia, USA. Social Science and Medicine, 48(2), 253–265.PubMedCrossRef

Ghosh, J. K., Wilhelm, M. H., Dunkel-Schetter, C., Lombardi, C. A., & Ritz, B. R. (2009). Paternal support and preterm birth, and the moderation of effects of chronic stress: a study in Los Angeles County mothers. Archives of Women’s Mental Health [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1007/s00737-009-0135-9.

10.

Martin, L. T., McNamara, M. J., Milot, A. S., Halle, T., & Hair, E. C. (2007). The effects of father involvement during pregnancy on receipt of prenatal care and maternal smoking. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 11(6), 595–602.PubMedCrossRef

11.

Ngui, E., Cortright, A., & Blair, K. (2009). An investigation of paternity status and other factors associated with racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Maternal Child Health Journal, 13(4), 467–478.CrossRef

12.

Padilla, Y., & Reichman, N. E. (2001). Low birthweight: Do unwed fathers help? Children and Youth Services Review, 23(4/5), 427–452.CrossRef

13.

Tan, H., Wen, S. W., Walker, M., & Demissie, K. (2004). Missing paternal demographics: a novel indicator for identifying high risk population of adverse pregnancy outcomes. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 4(1), 21.PubMedCrossRef

14.

Waller, M. R., & Bitler, M. P. (2008). The link between couples’ pregnancy intentions and behavior: Does it matter who is asked? Perspectives on Sex Reproductive Health, 40(4), 194–201.CrossRef

15.

Zambrana, R. E., Dunkel-Schetter, C., & Scrimshaw, S. (1991). Factors which influence use of prenatal care in low-income racial-ethnic women in Los Angeles County. Journal of Community Health, 16(5), 283–295.PubMedCrossRef

16.

Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes. (2010, May). Commission outlook: Best and promising practices for improving research, policy and practice on paternal involvement in pregnancy outcomes. Washington, DC: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Retrieved on March 2, 2011, from http://www.jointcenter.org/.

17.

Bond, M. J., Heidelbaugh, J. J., Robertson, A., Alio, P. A., & Parker, W. J. (2010). First priority: Research, policy and practice recommendations to improve paternal involvement in pregnancy outcomes. Current Opinions in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 22(6), 525–529.CrossRef

18.

Misra, D. P., Caldwell, C., Young, A. A., & Abelson, S. (2010). Do fathers matter? Paternal contributions to birth outcomes and racial disparities. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 202, 99–100.PubMedCrossRef

19.

Padilla, Y. C., & Reichman, N. E. (2001). Low birthweight: Do unwed fathers help? Children and Youth Services Review, 23(4–5), 427–452.CrossRef

20.

Bond, J. T., Galinsky, E., Kim, S. S., & Brownfield, E. (2005). 2005 National study of employers. Families and Work Institute. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from http://familiesandwork.org.

21.

Ray, R., Gornick, J. C., & Schmitt, J. (2010). Who cares? Assessing generosity and gender equality in parental leave policy designs in 21 countries. Journal of European Social Policy, 20(3), 196–216.CrossRef

22.

Ooms, T., Bouchet, S., & Parke, M. (2004). Beyond marriage licenses: Efforts in states to strengthen marriage and two-parent families. Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, DC.

23.

Rangarajan, A., Castner, L. & Clark, M. A. (2005, January). Public assistance use among two-parent families: An analysis of TANF and food stamp program eligibility and participation (Final Report). Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Retrieved on February 22, 2011, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/05/2parent-part/.

24.

Waller, M. R. (2001). Unmarried parents, fragile families: new evidence from Oakland. Public Policy Institute of California. Retrieved on October 4, 2010, from http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report.

25.

Carlson, M. J., & McLanahan, S. (2010). Fathers in fragile families. In M. E. Lamb (Ed.), The role of the father in child development (5th ed., pp. 241–269). New Jersey: Wiley & Sons.

26.

Sorensen, E., Mincy, R., & Halpern, A. (2000). Redirecting welfare policy toward building strong families. Urban Institute. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from http://www.urban.org.

27.

Blackburn, C. M., Bonas, S., Spencer, N. J., Coe, C. J., Dolan, A., & Moy, R. (2005). Parental smoking and passive smoking in infants: fathers matter too. Health Education Research, 20(2), 185–194.PubMedCrossRef

28.

Passaro, C. T., Little, R. E., Savits, D. A., & Noss, J. (1998). Effect of paternal alcohol consumption before conception on infant birth weight. Teratology, 57, 294–301.PubMedCrossRef

29.

van den Berg, M., van der Ende, J., Crijnen, A., Jaddoe, V., Moll, H., Mackenbach, J., Hofman, A., Hengeveld, M., Tiemeier, H., & Verhulst, F. (2009). Paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are related to excessive infant crying. Pediatrics, 124(1). doi:10.1542/peds.2008-3100.

30.

Bhatt, R. V. (2000). Environmental influence on reproductive health. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 70(1), 69–75.PubMedCrossRef

31.

Rosenberg, J., & Wilcox, B. W. (2006). The importance of fathers in the healthy development of children. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from http://www.childwelfare.gov.

32.

Father involvement in MCH Programs. (2009, August). AMCHP Fact Sheet. Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.

33.

Johnson, W. E. (1998). Paternal involvement in fragile, African American families: Implication for clinical social work practice. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 68(2), 215–232.CrossRef

34.

Johnson, W. E. (2001). Paternal involvement among unwed fathers. Children and Youth Services Review, 23(6–7), 513–536.CrossRef

35.

NCSL Labor and Economic Development Committee—Policy Workforce Investment Act reauthorization and funding, National Conference of State Legislatures. (2011). Retrieved on February 25, 2011, from http://www.ncsl.org/?TabId=16771.

36.

Hohmann-Marriott, B. (2009). The couple context of pregnancy and its effects on prenatal care and birth outcomes. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 13(6), 745–754.PubMedCrossRef

37.

Grady, W. R., Tanfer, K., Billy, J. O. G., & Lincoln-Hanson, J. (1996). Men’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities regarding sex, contraception and childrearing. Family Planning Perspectives, 28(5), 221–226.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Addressing Policy Barriers to Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy
Authors: Amina P. Alio
M. Jermane Bond
Yolanda C. Padilla
Joel J. Heidelbaugh
Michael Lu
Willie J. Parker
Publication date: 01-05-2011
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 4/2011
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0781-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Addressing Policy Barriers to Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 4/2011

The Association Between Second Hand Smoke and Low Birth Weight and Preterm Delivery

New Decade, New Look, Enduring Appreciation

Delayed or Forgone Care and Dissatisfaction with Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs: The Role of Perceived Cultural Competency of Health Care Providers

Low Birth Weight Across Generations: The Effect of Economic Environment

Scaling Up of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy Using Sulphadoxine–Pyrimethamine: Prospects and Challenges

A Retrospective Study on Infant Bed-Sharing in a Clinical Practice Population