How a Father's Mental Health Shapes Child Growth and Development?

New research highlights the importance of screening new fathers for mental health issues, as growing evidence links paternal depression, anxiety, and stress during the perinatal period to delays in children's emotional, social, cognitive, and language development. A commentary in JAMA Pediatrics emphasizes that recognizing and addressing fathers' mental well-being is essential for supporting healthy child development (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Paternal Mental Health and Child Development Across Multiple Domains

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Supporting All New Parents: The Critical Need for Paternal Postpartum Depression Screening

“Birth of a child can be highly stressful for both parents,” said lead author Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP, pediatrician and founder of the Family & Child Health Innovations Program (FCHIP) at Lurie Children’s, and Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“In the U.S., new mothers have been screened routinely for postpartum depression since 2010. We need to apply the same strategy to new fathers, since more and more studies like this one show that paternal mental health impacts child development and the wellbeing of an entire family.”

“As clinicians, we need to rethink how we approach new fathers,” said Dr. Garfield. “We need to engage them throughout pregnancy and the perinatal period and normalize feelings of sadness or fear or anxiety that are common during this lifechanging event. Clinicians should discuss with fathers warning signs for depression to help them recognize when either parent might need help.”

PRAMS for Dads: A New Tool to Understand and Support Fathers' Mental Health

To better understand the experiences and needs of men as they enter fatherhood, Dr. Garfield helped develop and launch a first-of-its-kind public health survey tool for fathers called PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) for Dads. Started in Georgia, PRAMS for Dads will be operational in eight states by the end of 2025, with efforts ongoing to establish the system in more states.

“PRAMS for Dads helps us focus state resources on addressing the most pressing issues for new fathers,” explained Dr. Garfield. “It also helps us further appreciate the impact fathers have on the health and wellbeing of children so we can better support them in adopting healthy behaviors.”

Findings from Dr. Garfield’s previous research using data from PRAMS for Dads revealed that fathers can make a huge difference in whether an infant is breastfed and placed to sleep safely.

Reference:

1. Paternal Mental Health and Child Development Across Multiple Domains - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2834903)

Source-Eurekalert