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Maternal and Child Health Journal
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal 5/2010

01-09-2010

The Impact of Paternal Involvement on Feto-Infant Morbidity Among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics

Authors: Amina P. Alio, Jennifer L. Kornosky, Alfred K. Mbah, Phillip J. Marty, Hamisu M. Salihu

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 5/2010

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Abstract

Few studies have examined paternal involvement in relation to feto-infant health; therefore we aim to assess the impact of absence of the father on birth outcomes among racial-ethnic subgroups. Florida vital statistics records for singleton births occurring between 1998 and 2005 were used for this study. Births to women less than 20 years of age and births outside the gestational age range of 20–44 weeks were excluded. Adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were generated to examine the impact of paternal involvement, as defined by presence of paternal information on the birth certificate, on feto-infant morbidity across racial-ethnic sub-populations. There were higher rates of low birth weight, very low birth weight, preterm birth, very preterm birth, and small for gestational age (SGA) among father-absent births. Within each racial-ethnic subgroup, women with absent fathers had higher risks of poor birth outcomes than their counterparts with involved fathers. Black women with absent fathers had the highest risk of low birth weight, very low birth weight, preterm birth, very preterm birth, and SGA. Promoting paternal involvement during the perinatal period may provide a means to decrease the proportion of infants born of very low birth weight or very preterm, thus potentially reducing the black–white disparity in infant mortality.
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Metadata
Title
The Impact of Paternal Involvement on Feto-Infant Morbidity Among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics
Authors
Amina P. Alio
Jennifer L. Kornosky
Alfred K. Mbah
Phillip J. Marty
Hamisu M. Salihu
Publication date
01-09-2010
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 5/2010
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-009-0482-1

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