Influence of father–infant relationship on infant development: A father-involvement intervention in Vietnam.

Lynn A. Rempel · John K. Rempel · Toan Nang Khuc · Le Thi Vui

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Infant Development and Preterm Care

Abstract

We examined the extent to which fathers can be taught and encouraged to develop positive relationships with their children, especially in infancy, and the effects of this fathering intervention on infant development. A multifaceted relationally focused intervention was used to assist fathers in Vietnam to engage in responsive direct and indirect involvement with their infants and work together with the mother as part of a parenting team. Fathers and mothers from 13 communes in a rural and semiurban district were recruited to the intervention group. Intervention fathers received group and individual counseling before and after birth, an interactive print resource, community messages about fathering, and the opportunity to participate in a Fathers Club. Couples from 12 comparable communes in a noncontiguous district were recruited to the control group. Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires at the prebirth recruitment and at 1-, 4-, and 9-months postbirth. Intervention fathers demonstrated greater increase in knowledge and attitudes regarding father-infant relationships. Both fathers and mothers reported that fathers engaged in more affection, care-taking, and play in the early months of their infants' lives and fathers felt more attached to their infants right from birth. A developmental assessment at 9 months showed that intervention infants demonstrated higher levels of motor, language, and personal/social development. This study demonstrated that fathers can be taught to interact more sensitively, responsively, and effectively with their newborn infants. Their increased interaction and emotional attachment appears to lay the foundation for enhanced infant development. (PsycINFO Database Record

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References

1986Prediction of goal-directed behavior: Attitudes, intentions, and perceived behavioral control 1998A Secure Base: Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory 1985The Role of the Father in Child Development 2003Less is more: Meta-analyses of sensitivity and attachment interventions in early childhood.2003The Internal Structure and Ecological Context of Coparenting: A Framework for Research and Intervention 2007Fathers' involvement and children's developmental outcomes: a systematic review of longitudinal studies 2004Fathers and Mothers at Play With Their 2- and 3-Year-Olds: Contributions to Language and Cognitive Development 2002The Uniqueness of the Child–Father Attachment Relationship: Fathers’ Sensitive and Challenging Play as a Pivotal Variable in a 16‐year Longitudinal Study

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2023Effectiveness of father-inclusive interventions on maternal, paternal, couples, and early child outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review 2018“His mind will work better with both of us”: a qualitative study on fathers’ roles and coparenting of young children in rural Pakistan 2019Parenting Teamwork: The Impact of a Fathering Intervention on Mothers and Infants in Vietnam 2023

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