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Updated: Jan 18, 2026

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The Role of the NICU in Father Involvement, Beliefs, and Confidence: A Follow-up Qualitative Study

Gesine Hearn1, Gina Clarkson, Matthew Day

  • 1Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology (Dr Hearn) and College of Nursing (Dr Clarkson, and Mr Day), Idaho State University, Pocatello.

Advances in Neonatal Care : Official Journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses
|October 1, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Fathers

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric psychology
  • Family studies

Background:

  • Father involvement significantly impacts infant development and outcomes.
  • Involved fathers are linked to improved infant weight gain, sleep, and psychosocial behaviors.
  • Father engagement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with shorter infant hospital stays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore and describe the involvement, confidence, and beliefs of fathers whose infants were hospitalized in the NICU.
  • To initiate a longitudinal investigation into father involvement following NICU discharge.

Main Methods:

  • Exploratory qualitative study utilizing telephone interviews.
  • Participants were fathers from a previous NICU study, interviewed 4-5 years post-discharge.
  • Grounded theory principles guided the qualitative data analysis.

Main Results:

  • Nineteen fathers shared experiences, highlighting themes like fear, presence, difficulty, selflessness, bonding, and reward.
  • Fathers reported that NICU healthcare providers, including nurses and staff, were instrumental in building their confidence and involvement.
  • Support from NICU staff helped fathers overcome uncertainty and knowledge gaps during their infant's hospitalization.

Conclusions:

  • Nurses are perceived by fathers as crucial sources of support within the NICU.
  • Encouraging regular visits and active participation in infant care can enhance father involvement.
  • NICU presence fosters paternal confidence and parenting readiness, potentially leading to sustained father engagement.
Abstract

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