Prenatal paternal stress predicts infant parasympathetic functioning above and beyond maternal prenatal stress

BACKGROUND

Paternal stress is often assessed by maternal report and is posited to influence infant development indirectly by contributing to a mother's stress and experiences during pregnancy. Far less is known about how direct effects of prenatal paternal stress, as described by fathers themselves, are related to an infant's physiological functioning. We assessed fathers' own experiences of stress and examined its direct impact on infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a biological index of self-regulation, at seven-month postpartum.

METHOD

During the third trimester of pregnancy, the UCLA Life Stress Interview was conducted to assess chronic stress in mothers and fathers (N = 90). Infant baseline RSA and RSA reactivity in response to the Still-Face paradigm were assessed at seven-month postpartum.

RESULTS

Infants of fathers with high prenatal stress showed lower baseline RSA, possibly reflective of poor infant psychophysiological regulation. The predictive role of paternal stress remained significant after controlling for maternal stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide emerging empirical evidence to support the influence of prenatal paternal stress on infant RSA, highlighting the important role of fathers for child development.

The Relationship Between Paternal Postpartum Depression and Psychosocial Variables: A longitudinal Study in Iran

Objective

This study aimed to investigate and identify the psychosocial factors that are associated with paternal postpartum depression.

Materials and methods

A longitudinal correlation study with 150 fathers was performed with three time frames (late pregnancy, postpartum, and four weeks postpartum). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale assessed those with depression (38.7%; n=58) and those without depressive symptoms (61.3%; n=92). Psychological variables related to paternal depression were also assessed through questionnaires.

Results

Psychological variables such as marital adjustment and stress had a significant relationship with paternal depression. In addition, depressed fathers experienced less marital compatibility and more tension than non-depressed fathers.

Conclusion

These findings emphasize the importance of considering the psychosocial variables that affect paternal psychological health. Mental health professionals may be able to reduce mental disorders, stress, psychological distress, and marital maladjustment in fathers with appropriate psychological interventions.

How to support fathers of preterm infants in early parenthood - An integrative review

PROBLEM

Preterm birth is a stressful event. Paternal experiences of having a preterm infant indicate a need for tailored support. However, it is unclear which interventions work best. This review presents the evidence on existing healthcare interventions to support fathers of preterm infants in early parenthood, how effective they are and paternal experiences with the interventions.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The integrative review process of Whittemore and Knafl was used to guide the study. A structured and comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, SweMed+, and Proquest Dissertation & Thesis Global.

SAMPLE

A total of 18 qualitative and quantitative studies were included in the review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess quality.

RESULTS

Three overall themes were identified in the analysis: 1) Skin-to-skin contact supported interaction between infant and father, 2) information impacted paternal experiences of stress, anxiety, and development of fatherhood, 3) fathers' relationships with the nurses oscillated between conflict and assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that targeted interventions could support father-infant interaction and reduce stress among fathers of preterm infants.

IMPLICATIONS

Fathers of preterm infants rely on nurses to support their engagement in early parenthood, while nurses facilitate the interventions that engage the fathers. It is also essential to develop a culture within the neonatal intensive care unit that encourages the presence of fathers and enhances educational nursing strategies for supporting fathers of preterm infants during early parenthood.

[Mother's experience of planned caesarean section in the absence of the father or companion: Impact of Covid-19 pandemic-related lockdown]

BACKGROUND

The presence of the father or companion during planned caesarean section presents several benefits. However, we found no study regarding the mother's experience of his presence or absence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted an observational, prospective, two-centre study based on the data of women who had a planned caesarean section in Bel Air and Mercy Maternities between November 17th 2020 and June 4th 2021. Two groups were formed : a control group, including women who had a c-section in the presence of the father or companion, and a case group, including women who had a c-section without the father or companion due to Covid-19 pandemic-related containment measures. The primary endpoint was to assess the mother's anxiety regarding the presence or absence of the father or companion during planned c-section, by the use of a numerical scale of stress and STAI YA inventory. The secondary endpoint was the appraisal of information given by the medical team concerning c-section and the containment measures.

RESULTS

Regarding the level of stress during the c-section, we did not find a significant difference by the use of the numerical scale of stress. With a mean of 53 in the case group and 49 in the focus group (P=0,048), the STAI YA scores showed a significant difference. Between the day before and the day of the c-section, we found no significant difference by the use of the numerical scale of stress. STAI YA scores showed a significant difference, with a delta of 5 in the case group against 1 in the focus group (P=0,01). Most patients estimated that the information given by the medical team helped to reduce their stress. 93 % of the patients in the focus group reckoned they would have been more stressed in the absence of the father or companion.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The significant results of this study suggest the absence of the father or companion during planned caesarean section has an impact on mother's experience. Therefore, this should be considered in order to better our practices and improve mother's experience. In the long term, we could imagine making their presence possible during emergency caesarean sections as well (general anesthesia excluded). We could also envision adding to preparation courses to c-section to birth preparation courses, for mothers (to reduce psychological impact) but also for fathers or companions (to allow their presence in the operation room).

Early Adolescent Social Anxiety: Differential Associations for Fathers' and Mothers' Psychologically Controlling and Autonomy-Supportive Parenting

Although psychologically controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting are important indicators of social anxiety during early adolescence, less research has explored distinct roles of father and mother parenting, especially in interdependent-oriented culture. This 3-year longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations between such parenting and early adolescent social anxiety from multi-informants in the Chinese context. A sample of 1,140 Chinese early adolescents (51.1% boys; M_age = 10.50 years) and their parents participated at Wave 1. The results did not reveal reciprocal relations between fathers' reported parenting and social anxiety, but indicated paternal parenting effects from boys' perceptions of autonomy support to social anxiety, and child effects from social anxiety to girls' perceived psychological control. Maternal parenting effects were present for boys' perceptions of autonomy support and girls' perceptions of psychological control. The findings highlight the distinct roles of father and mother parenting across child gender and suggest differentiated relations of parenting to social anxiety during early adolescence in the Chinese context.

Understanding parental physical activity support in parents of children with developmental disabilities across two different countries

BACKGROUND

It remains unclear if there is a difference between parental physical activity (PA) support in parents of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) and parental PA support in parents of children without DDs across countries.

AIMS

The purposes of the current study were to examine parental PA support in parents of children with and without DDs from the United States and South Korea and to examine their parental PA support mechanism based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

An online survey was used to measure demographic information, parental PA support, and four constructs of TPB in parents with and without DDs in the two countries (n = 277). One-way analysis of variance was used to compare parental PA support and the TPB constructs among the participants. Two separate path analyses were performed to examine associations between the TPB constructs and parental PA support in American parents of children with and without disabilities and South Korean parents of children with and without disabilities.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Parental PA support was significantly higher in American parents of children with DDs than in South Korean parents of children with DDs. Intention was significantly associated with parental PA support, and attitude was the strongest predictor for intention in both pathway models.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The difference in parental PA support between American parents of children with DDs and South Korean parents of children with DDs may exist. TPB-based intervention may be necessary in order to increase low parental PA support in South Korean parents of children with DDs.

Adolescent bullying victimization and psychosomatic symptoms: Can relationship quality with fathers buffer this association?

The present study explored racial/ethnic and sex differences in fathers' awareness and perceived ease of communication with fathers and how they are related to adolescent bullying victimization and psychosomatic symptoms. Data were drawn from the 2009 to 2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study in the United States. The sample consists of 5,121 White, 1,497 African American, and 1,850 Hispanic adolescents in grades 5 to 10. For all three racial and ethnic groups, bullying victimization was positively associated with psychosomatic symptoms. A higher level of the child's perception of their father's awareness was found to be positively associated with lower levels of bullying victimization for White and Hispanic adolescents. African American, White, and Hispanic adolescents who perceived their fathers as easy to communicate with had a lower risk of bullying victimization. The child's perception of their father's awareness buffered the positive association between bullying victimization and psychosomatic symptoms for Hispanic adolescents. A higher child's perception of their father's awareness was related to lower bullying victimization for adolescents of both sexes. The child's perception of their father's awareness and their perceived ease of communication with their father were found to be associated with a decreased risk of psychosomatic symptoms for both sexes. Overall, the results support the importance of relationship quality with fathers as a protective factor against bullying victimization.

Children's sleep and fathers' health and wellbeing: A systematic review

Night-waking is typical across infancy and early childhood, inevitably disrupting family sleep. For some children, sleep problems develop and endure throughout childhood. This systematic review focused on fathers, and synthesised the evidence pertaining to the effects of children's sleep (from birth to 12 years) on fathers' health and wellbeing. A total of 29 studies were included. Key outcomes reported for fathers were: sleep and fatigue; mental and general health; and family functioning. An association between child sleep and father's sleep was observed when child's sleep was measured via actigraphy or paternal report, but not when measured via maternal report, suggesting that mothers may not always be aware of disruptions that awaken fathers. Findings showed poorer child sleep was associated with poorer general health and wellbeing among fathers, however, associations of poor child sleep with depression were fewer, and less frequent than those reported for mothers in the same households. Poor child sleep was negatively associated with the quality of family relationships, both within the couple and between parent and child. Future studies seeking to understand the interplay of child sleep and family wellbeing should apply objective measurement of sleep and integrate formal measures of family dynamics into the study design.

Association of child's disability status with father's health outcomes in Japan

Fathers' involvement in childcare has been increasing in recent years. However, very little is known about the health impact on fathers when they are caring for or living with a disabled child. This study aims to understand the psychological distress and subjective health outcomes among fathers living with a disabled child compared to fathers living without a disabled child. Data for this study were obtained from the Comprehensive Survey of the Living Conditions conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was used among 438 disabled-child and father dyads and 27,682 non-disabled-child and father dyads to analyse the association between a child's disability status with father's health outcomes. Fathers of disabled children had a higher prevalence of psychological distress (17% vs. 12%) and poor subjective health status (13% vs. 8%) than fathers of non-disabled children. A large proportion of disabled children were boys (70%) and had disability level 1 (47%). After adjusting for covariates, the odds ratio (OR) of having psychological distress (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.19–1.97) and poor subjective health status (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.34–2.36) among fathers of disabled children is significantly higher compared to fathers of non-disabled children. Unemployed fathers had a higher odds ratio of psychological distress (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 2.49–3.79) and poor subjective health status (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 3.95–6.09) compared to regular working fathers. Fathers of children with disabilities need greater physical and mental health and wellbeing support. They should be provided with additional support not just for their mental but also their subjective wellbeing.

•

Fathers of disabled children have higher odds ratio of psychological distress.

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Fathers of disabled children have higher odds ratio of poor subjective health status.

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70% of disabled children were boys and 47% had mildest severity of disability.

Caring Dads intervention for fathers who have perpetrated abuse within their families: Quasi-experimental evaluation of child protection outcomes over two years

BACKGROUND

In Canada, two of the most common forms of maltreatment substantiated by child protective services are child exposure to domestic violence and child physical abuse. Fathers are identified as the parent responsible for a substantial proportion of this maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether providing a group-based intervention program for fathers was associated with greater engagement of fathers in child protection case management and with lower rates of subsequent father-perpetrated abuse.

PARTICIPANTS

A quasi-experimental design compared child protection outcomes in families in which fathers were referred to an intervention program (Caring Dads) and either completed the group (n = 85) or remained on a waitlist for future service (n = 100).

METHODS

Data were collected from a retrospective review of administrative files over two years, starting from the time of referral to Caring Dads.

RESULTS

Initial comparisons found no significant differences in intervention and comparison group fathers in demographic characteristics, child protection concerns, and all but one area of risk and needs. Completing intervention, as compared to being waitlisted, was associated with a greater number of contacts between child protection workers and fathers over two years (M = 30.3 vs. M = 16.7), a difference that was significant and large in size (d = 0.81) and with lower rates of verified re-referral due to fathers' maltreatment (20.5% vs. 36.0%), a difference that was significant and between small and medium in size (V = 0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

Current results suggest that there may be significant benefits of involving fathers in child protection-linked intervention.

Paternal and maternal support of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children on weekdays and weekends: a cross-sectional study

Background

Most studies of associations between parental support behaviours for physical activity (PA) and children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) have been conducted in developed countries, and they have focused on maternal or parental support behaviours. Children’s MVPA time (i.e., weekdays vs. weekends) has not been adequately differentiated. This paper investigated the associations of paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA with the proportion of children who met the MVPA recommendations on weekdays and weekends in China.

Methods

Cross-sectional data of 517 father–child dyads and 1422 mother–child dyads were analysed. The children recorded PA diaries on 7 consecutive days to assess their MVPA time. The father or mother completed a questionnaire concerning their support for children’s PA. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the independent effects of paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA on whether children met the MVPA recommendations for weekdays, weekends, and the whole week.

Results

Significantly fewer children met the MVPA recommendations on weekends (37.8%) than on weekdays (62.8%). Higher paternal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.098, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009–1.195) and maternal (OR = 1.076, 95% CI: 1.021–1.134) total support behaviour scores were associated with higher odds of children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekends, after controlling for covariates. Paternal PA knowledge-sharing with the child was positively associated with children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekends (OR = 1.319, 95% CI: 1.055–1.649); it tended to be associated with children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekdays and throughout the week, although these associations were not statistically significant. Maternal reservation of PA time for the child was positively associated with a higher likelihood of children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekdays (OR = 1.160, 95% CI: 1.025–1.313), weekends (OR = 1.241, 95% CI: 1.097–1.403), and throughout the week (OR = 1.214, 95% CI: 1.076–1.369).

Conclusions

Paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA should be enhanced on weekends to increase children’s MVPA. Fathers should share PA knowledge with children and mothers should reserve PA time for children every day.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11730-8.

Longitudinal associations among adolescents' internalizing problems, well-being, and the quality of their relationships with their mothers, fathers, and close friends

RATIONALE

Internalizing problems (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) are known to decrease adolescents' well-being, but knowledge about potential underlying mechanisms is limited. The qualities of adolescents' most proximal relationships with their parents and close friends are expected to play a role in the association between adolescents' internalizing problems and well-being.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was conducted to 1) investigate the indirect longitudinal association between internalizing problems and adolescents' well-being via the quality of adolescents' relationships with both their mothers and fathers and their close friends, and 2) test whether our findings were gender invariant.

METHODS

Data were collected via online questionnaires in two waves at a 12-month interval from adolescents attending three secondary schools in the Netherlands (N = 1298; M age = 13.7 years, 53.2% girls). The data were analyzed using a two-wave cross-lagged panel model in R. Multigroup analyses were performed to examine the gender invariance of the findings.

RESULTS

After controlling for baseline levels, results showed that (1) girls, but not boys, who reported more internalizing problems at T1 had lower well-being at T2; (2) girls and boys who reported more internalizing problems at T1 had lower-quality relationships with their mothers, fathers, and close friends at T2; and (3) boys, but not girls, who reported higher-quality friendships at T1 had higher well-being at T2. However, no significant indirect effects between internalizing problems and well-being via the quality of adolescents' relationships with their parents and close friends were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study contributes to understanding internalizing problems as an important risk factor to the quality of adolescents' proximal social relationships (parents, friends) and their well-being. The findings support the importance of building high-quality relationships, particularly friendships, and recommend future research to study adolescents' internalizing problems and well-being including gender-specific examinations.

Paternal childcare in early childhood and problematic behavior in children: a population-based prospective study in Japan

BACKGROUND

There have been numerous reports on the effects of paternal childcare on children's behavioral development. However, little is known about these effects in Asian countries such as Japan, where fathers do not have sufficient time for childcare due to long working hours. This study explored the association between paternal childcare during toddlerhood in terms of childcare hours and the type of caregiving behavior and subsequent behavioral problems in children aged 5.5 years, stratified by sex.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the twenty-first Century (2001-2006), a population-based cohort survey in Japan (N = 27,870). Paternal childcare was assessed at 18 months in terms of paternal childcare hours on weekdays or weekends and the frequency of each type of childcare (feeding, changing diapers, bathing, putting the child to sleep, playing with the child at home, and taking the child outside). Based on the frequency or lack of paternal involvement, six categories of child behavioral problems were assessed when the children were 5.5 years old. Logistic regression analysis was applied to account for the known confounding variables.

RESULTS

Longer paternal childcare hours, on both weekdays and weekends in toddlerhood, had a protective effect on behavioral problems at 5.5 years of age. The dose-effect relationships were found between the frequency of fathers taking their children outside and behavioral problems in boys, and the frequency of fathers playing with their children at home and behavioral problems in both boys and girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Paternal childcare during toddlerhood could prevent subsequent behavioral problems in children. Several specific paternal caregiving behaviors, such as taking their children outside and playing with them at home, may play an important role in preventing subsequent behavioral problems.

A descriptive qualitative study exploring the experiences of fathers with partners suffering from maternal perinatal depression

OBJECTIVE

The onset of maternal perinatal depression poses many challenges for fathers, yet in Singapore and Asia, the topic remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of fathers whose partners suffer from perinatal depression in the Asian milieu.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative study design was adopted. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit participants. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted individually with participants to collect data, which were analysed using thematic analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Twelve fathers were recruited for the study. Eleven were from a perinatal mental health service in a tertiary hospital in Singapore, while 1 father was recruited via snowball sampling.

FINDINGS

Five themes describing the fathers' journey through their partners' perinatal depression emerged from the analysis. The themes are: (1) feeling their world collapse; (2) struggling with the depression; (3) enduring the emotional toll; (4) coping with the situation; and (5) emerging from the other side.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study highlighted the struggles, coping methods, and support needs of fathers whose partners suffer from perinatal depression. Fathers were often unable to identify perinatal depression in their partners. Notably, they testified to the need to tolerate verbal and sometimes violent outbursts from their partners, and requested for more available information, resources, and peer support groups.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The findings underscore a need for pre-emptive education on maternal perinatal depression and more accessible resources. Healthcare professionals should assess fathers' emotional responses to parenthood and their partners' depression.

The Premise and Promise of Activation Parenting for Fathers: A Review and Integration of Extant Literature

Although research on fathers tends to focus on mother-derived conceptualizations of caregiving, such as sensitivity, it has been theorized that fathers play a unique role in opening their children to the world by encouraging exploration and risk-taking. However, extant research on these forms of paternal caregiving is scattered across multiple related but distinct domains, namely rough-and-tumble play, challenging parenting behavior, and the activation relationship. Based on the overlap in theory and operationalizations of these domains, the present review aimed to define and operationalize a new caregiving construct: activation parenting (AP). Fathers who exhibit frequent and high-quality AP behaviors encourage children to take risks, challenge children physically and socioemotionally, and set appropriate limits during stimulating interactions to ensure safety and prevent over-arousal. Using Belsky's (1984) process of parenting model as a foundation, associations between paternal AP and characteristics of the father, his environment, and his child are reviewed, with a focus on early childhood (i.e., ages 0-5 years). The present review found some support for paternal AP occurring more frequently, but not necessarily with higher quality, when fathers had children older than one years old. Unexpectedly, the frequency and quality of paternal AP did not differ much by paternal age or indicators of socioeconomic status, or by child age or gender. In line with underlying theories, higher quality paternal AP in early childhood has been found to be associated with children's self-regulation skills and lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. Limitations of the current paternal AP literature are discussed and future directions for research, policy, and clinical work are proposed.

Fathers' Experience of Perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: A Systematic Literature Review

Perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (pOCD) refers to the onset/exacerbation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) during the perinatal period. This disorder has been studied in mothers, with limited research conducted on fathers. The aim of the current study was to conduct the first systematic review of research investigating the experience of pOCD in fathers. A systematic review was conducted via electronic searches of Scopus, ProQuest, APA PsychNet, PubMed, and EBSCOhost. There were 523 articles identified and screened for eligibility, resulting in six eligible studies included in the final review. All studies reported the presence of subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms in fathers during the perinatal period, with the prevalence comparable to mothers. Compared to mothers, however, fathers were found to report less intrusion-related distress. Two studies reported a correlation between dysfunctional beliefs, negative appraisal of intrusions, and pOCD symptoms. Common categories of obsessive thoughts and compulsions experienced by fathers were also identified. Fathers appear susceptible to pOCD, which is consistent with the Cognitive-Behavioral Theory of OCD. Future research is recommended, therefore, to investigate clinical prevalence and severity of pOCD in fathers, particularly relative to mothers, and further investigate the role of dysfunctional beliefs in the development of pOCD.

The buffering role of paternal parenting stress in the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour

The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour in the families of 99 children aged 8–11 years. Parenting stress was assessed by parents, using the Parenting Stress Index, and children's problematic behaviour was assessed by teachers, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A moderation regression analysis showed a conditioning effect of paternal parenting stress in the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour. In the presence of high levels of paternal parenting stress, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour was significant and strong (p = .01). When paternal parenting stress levels were low, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour was not significant (p = .49). The results underlined that paternal parenting stress may buffer the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's problematic behaviour. Clinical implications are discussed.

Psychosocial interventions and support programs for fathers of NICU infants - A comprehensive review

The experience of having a child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is often unexpected, traumatic, and presents numerous stressors for new fathers. Past research has shown that parents of all genders with children in the NICU experience clinically significant psychological symptoms, yet the bulk of research and intervention efforts to date have focused on the needs of mothers. This paper will provide a review of the literature, outline current knowledge about the specific needs of men with children in the NICU, and recommend areas of focus for future research. The paper will also highlight the need to tailored interventions that specifically address the unique needs of fathers.

Imagining the baby: Neural reactivity to infant distress and mind-mindedness in expectant parents

Neural and psychological processes in pregnancy may be important antecedents for caregiving postpartum. Employing event-related potentials, we examined neural reactivity to infant emotional faces during the third trimester of pregnancy in expectant mothers (n = 38) and expectant fathers (n = 30). Specifically, expectant parents viewed infant distress and infant neutral faces while electroencephalography was simultaneously recorded. As a psychological measure, we assessed prenatal mind-mindedness towards the unborn child and examined whether neural processing of infant cues was associated with levels of mind-mindedness. Expectant fathers evidenced greater P300 reactivity to infant distress, relative to neutral, faces than expectant mothers. Furthermore, P300 reactivity to infant distress, relative to infant neutral, faces was associated with levels of prenatal mind-mindedness in expectant fathers but not expectant mothers. These findings indicate significant sex differences in the prenatal neural processing of infant cues and relations between neural reactivity to infant distress and the emergence of parental mind-mindedness.

How domestically violent Fathers impact children's social-emotional development: Fathers' psychological functioning, parenting, and coparenting

BACKGROUND

Most children exposed to father-perpetrated domestic violence (DV) continue to have contact or live with fathers, yet there is little research on the impact of fathering in the context of domestic violence.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aimed to identify pathways from children's exposure to father-perpetrated DV to compromised social-emotional outcomes. Based on extant literature on fathering and domestic violence, psychological, parenting, and coparenting features in DV fathers were identified as potential mediators of the relationship between child exposure to DV and their social-emotional outcomes.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants were 123 fathers with confirmed histories of DV perpetration and 101 comparison fathers without such histories.

METHODS

Fathers completed self-report measures during two assessment sessions held at the university. Simple mediation analyses were used to examine pathways between fathers' DV perpetration and child internalizing and externalizing difficulties through potential mediators.

RESULTS

Paternal depression, hostility, and coparenting difficulties significantly mediated the relationship between child exposure to DV and child internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Low paternal warmth was associated with child externalizing difficulties but did not function as a mediator. Paternal over-reactivity and laxness, in contrast, were not significantly correlated with DV perpetration or with child internalizing or externalizing outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that fathers' emotion regulation and coparenting difficulties are important correlates of his DV perpetration and of their children's psychological symptoms and should be considered as potential foci for parenting intervention with this population.

Parental ADHD in pregnancy and the postpartum period - A systematic review

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders worldwide, and in the majority of patients persists into adulthood. However, it remains unclear how maternal ADHD could affect pregnancy and birth as well as early mother-(father)-child interaction. There are several studies investigating the effect of depressed or anxious parents on parent-child-interactions in early infancy, but data about the influence of parental ADHD is lacking although it is a common mental disorder in parents. Additionally, the prescription of stimulant and other ADHD medication for adult ADHD patients is rising due to improved diagnostic procedures and a greater awareness of this disorder in adulthood among psychiatrists and psychologists. However, this leads to increased numbers of treated ADHD women that wish to have children or experience unplanned pregnancies while taking stimulant medication. In our systematic review we aimed at analysing the current evidence for the association of maternal ADHD with pregnancy and birth outcomes, pregnancy risks and health behaviour in pregnancy, as well as the association of parental ADHD with early parent-child interaction and early child development in the first 3 years. Furthermore, we reviewed recent evidence on the risks of stimulant and non-stimulant treatment for ADHD in pregnancy and lactation.

Sperm DNA methylation epimutation biomarker for paternal offspring autism susceptibility

BACKGROUND

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased over tenfold over the past several decades and appears predominantly associated with paternal transmission. Although genetics is anticipated to be a component of ASD etiology, environmental epigenetics is now also thought to be an important factor. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, have been correlated with ASD. The current study was designed to identify a DNA methylation signature in sperm as a potential biomarker to identify paternal offspring autism susceptibility.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sperm samples were obtained from fathers that have children with or without autism, and the sperm then assessed for alterations in DNA methylation. A genome-wide analysis (> 90%) for differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) was used to identify DMRs in the sperm of fathers (n = 13) with autistic children in comparison with those (n = 13) without ASD children. The 805 DMR genomic features such as chromosomal location, CpG density and length of the DMRs were characterized. Genes associated with the DMRs were identified and found to be linked to previously known ASD genes, as well as other neurobiology-related genes. The potential sperm DMR biomarkers/diagnostic was validated with blinded test sets (n = 8-10) of individuals with an approximately 90% accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Observations demonstrate a highly significant set of 805 DMRs in sperm that can potentially act as a biomarker for paternal offspring autism susceptibility. Ancestral or early-life paternal exposures that alter germline epigenetics are anticipated to be a molecular component of ASD etiology.

Association between family history, early growth and the risk of beta cell autoimmunity in children at risk for type 1 diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The aim of this work was to examine the relationship between family history of type 1 diabetes, birthweight, growth during the first 2 years and development of multiple beta cell autoantibodies in children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes and HLA-conferred disease susceptibility.

METHODS

In a secondary analysis of the Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR), clinical characteristics and development of beta cell autoantibodies were compared in relation to family history of type 1 diabetes (mother vs father vs sibling) in 2074 children from families with a single affected family member.

RESULTS

Multiple autoantibodies (≥2 of 5 measured) developed in 277 (13%) children: 107 (10%), 114 (16%) and 56 (18%) born with a mother, father or sibling with type 1 diabetes, respectively (p < 0.001). The HR for time to multiple autoimmunity was 0.54 (95% CI 0.39, 0.75) in offspring of affected mothers (n = 107/1046, p < 0.001) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.59, 1.11) (n = 114/722, p = 0.19) in offspring of affected fathers, compared with participants with a sibling with type 1 diabetes (comparator group n = 56/306). The time to the first autoantibody present (to insulin, GAD, tyrosine phosphatase-related insulinoma-associated 2 molecules, islet cell or zinc transporter 8) was similar in the three groups. Height velocity (z score/year) in the first 24 months was independently associated with developing multiple antibodies in the total cohort (HR 1.31 [95% CI 1.01, 1.70], p = 0.04). A higher birthweight in children born to an affected mother vs affected father or an affected sibling was not related to the risk of multiple autoimmunity.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The risk of developing multiple autoantibodies was lower in children with maternal type 1 diabetes. For the whole group, this risk of developing multiple autoantibodies was independent of birthweight but was greater in those with increased height velocity during the first 2 years of life. However, the risk associated with paternal type 1 diabetes was not linked to differences in birthweight or early growth.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00179777 Graphical abstract.

Prevalence of perinatal depression among Japanese men: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Perinatal depression is a widely discussed mental illness that occurs not only in women, but also in men. A previous international meta-analysis of the prevalence of paternal perinatal depression suggested that cross-cultural variables or socioeconomic environment may influence paternal depression. However, it is not clear that these data are general enough to apply to Japanese men, and there are few review articles about perinatal depression among this demographic. The purpose of our study is to provide a reliable estimate of the prevalence of perinatal depression among Japanese men.

METHOD

We searched two databases, PubMed and ICHUSHI, to identify studies with data on the prevalence of prenatal or postpartum depression among Japanese men. Data were extracted from reports published from January 1994 to June 2018. The period prevalence of paternal perinatal depression among Japanese men was investigated. A subgroup analysis of gender differences in perinatal depression was also performed.

RESULTS

We reviewed 1,379 abstracts, retrieved 33 articles and ultimately included 15 studies. The period prevalence of paternal prenatal depression in men was 8.5% (95% CI 3.3-20.3%). Moreover, the period prevalence of postpartum depression in men was 9.7% (95% CI 7.4-12.8%) within the first month, 8.6% (95% CI 5.5-13.3%) in postpartum months 1-3, 13.2% (95% CI 11.6-15.0%) in postpartum months 3-6 and 8.2% (95% CI 1.3-38.0%) in postpartum months 6-12. We also found that the prevalence of prenatal depression was significantly lower in men than in women. However, the prevalence of postpartum depression was not significantly different between men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of perinatal depression among Japanese men peaked at 3-6 months after birth, and its overall prevalence was approximately 10%. These results were similar to those of an international meta-analysis on perinatal depression. Notably, we found that the prevalence of postpartum depression was as high in men as it was in women. Therefore, it is suggested that healthcare workers should be more watchful for paternal perinatal depression in the postpartum period than in the prenatal period.

[Parental anxiety and associated factors in pediatric hospital emergencies, a cross-sectional descriptive study.]

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric hospital emergencies have increased hardly in the recent years, product of the irrational use and the over-massification. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anxiety and sociodemographic factors of the parents and mothers.

METHODS

Descriptive cross-sectional study on parental anxiety and associated factors in a pediatric hospital emergency service with sample n=200 fathers and mothers who demand care in a level 3 hospital in Valencia. (Spain), during march, april and may of 2019. It was estimated the reliability of the Anxiety Scale E-7 (STAI-E7). The data was obtained with a self-administrated and desired document for the purpose. Data related to the level of anxiety and possible predictive variables were collected. The analysis of the data obtained was performed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS, version 20.0 for Windows) and ordinal regression with the R commander program.

RESULTS

The results show that 75.5% of the people who went to the hospital with their children were mothers and 24.5% were fathers. The mean score obtained regarding the level of anxiety in the sample is moderate (9.18±4.92). Mothers present higher levels of anxiety than fathers (9.7±4.8 and 7.5±5.1, respectively). The probability of experiencing a higher level of anxiety in mothers is multiplied by two (OR=2.286; 95% CI: 1.212-4.353; P=0.01) compared to parents. The STAI-E7 scale presents a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.847).

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers have higher levels of anxiety. It will be appreciated doing more studies to quantify the levels of parental anxiety, with the purpose of creating tools and programs to decrease it.