Where Are the Dads? A Pilot Study of a Dads-Only Session in Group Prenatal Care

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Family Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Paternal engagement is a potential strategy to reduce infant mortality.
• Fathers' involvement in prenatal care is under-researched.
• Fathers desire information on supporting partners and newborn care, but optimal delivery methods are unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and perceived benefits of a father-only prenatal education session.
• To assess fathers' interest and engagement in a group prenatal care setting.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted with a father-only information session.
• The session was informal and interactive, integrated within a group prenatal care model.
• All 5 approached fathers participated.

Main Results:

• All participating fathers found the session beneficial.
• Fathers perceived the session as a valuable addition to group prenatal care.
• The study highlights the need for more research into effective prenatal engagement strategies for fathers.

Conclusions:

• Father-only sessions can be a valuable component of prenatal care.
• Healthcare providers should identify opportunities to involve fathers and address their concerns.
• Further investigation into implementing fathering activities in prenatal care is warranted.