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The fathers of children with spina bifida
Insights
Fathers with spina bifida (IF) experience significant emotional strain and health issues, impacting family well-being. Addressing these challenges can benefit all family members.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Spina bifida (SB) is a complex birth defect.
- Fathers of children with SB face unique challenges.
- Long-term outcomes for these fathers are not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the long-term health, employment, marital, and child-rearing outcomes of fathers with spina bifida (IF) compared to control fathers (CF).
- To assess the psychological and practical impacts on fathers throughout their child's development up to 18 years.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking fathers from birth to 18 years.
- Comparison between fathers with spina bifida (IF) and normal controls (CF).
- Inclusion of health assessments, employment status, marital outcomes, and child involvement metrics.
Main Results:
- Fathers with spina bifida (IF) reported poorer health and more psychosomatic symptoms by age 18 compared to controls.
- IF showed higher General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scores, indicating more symptoms.
- While practical involvement was similar, 30% of IF remained involved in personal child care at 18 years.
- Employment and income differences emerged by age 18, with more IF claiming invalidity benefits or being sole earners.
Conclusions:
- Fathers with spina bifida (IF) experience significant emotional strain and specific health problems.
- These psychological and practical challenges negatively impact their well-being.
- Interventions addressing these issues could improve outcomes for fathers and their families.
Abstract:
Health, employment, marital outcome and involvement with the child, of fathers with spina bifida (IF) and with "normal" controls (CF), were analysed at intervals from birth to 18 years. By 10 years IF had poorer reported health than did CF. By 18 years IF had more specific health problems, many being psychosomatic in nature, than CF or index and control mothers. This pattern was also reflected in the GHQ scores; IF had a significantly higher incidence of symptoms than CF. Practical involvement of IF and CF was generally little different but at 18 years 30% of IF were still involved in their child's "personal care". Employment and income amongst IF and CF did not differ in the early years. By 18 years, significantly more IF were claiming invalidity benefit, while they were also more likely to be the family's only wage-earner. Our evidence suggests that IF suffered surprisingly severely as a result of emotional strain. Both the psychological and practical problems could be alleviated to the benefit of all family members.