According to a recent survey of new fathers by the Pregnancy Risk Monitoring System (PRAMS for Dads), fathers can make a big difference in whether a baby is breastfed or safely put to sleep.
This new method is based on the annual monitoring method that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health agencies have used to survey new mothers for more than 35 years. The first study using the PRAMS for fathers to describe father-reported rates of infant breastfeeding and sleep practices in a state-representative sample.
The results of the study were published in the journal ‘Paediatrics’. Breastfeeding was initiated by 95 percent of fathers who wanted their child’s mother to breastfeed, and 78 percent reported breastfeeding at eight weeks.
This is significantly higher than the rate reported by fathers who had no opinion or did not want their child’s mother to breastfeed – 69 per cent acknowledged having started breastfeeding and 33 per cent said they were breastfeeding at eight weeks.
The researchers also found that while 99 percent of fathers reported putting their baby to sleep, only 16 percent followed all three recommended infant sleep practices (back sleeping position, approved sleep surface, and avoiding soft bedding). Almost a third of the fathers surveyed were missing at least one critical component of safe sleep education.
Black fathers were less likely to use the back sleeping position and more likely to use soft bedding than white fathers. Nationally, the rate of sudden unexpected infant death among black infants is more than double that of white infants, and unsafe sleep practices may contribute to this disparity.
“Our findings underscore that new fathers are a critical audience for promoting breastfeeding and safe infant sleep,” said lead author John James Parker, MD, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, an internist at Northwestern Medicine, and a physician. Instructor in Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Many families do not receive the health benefits of breastfeeding because they are not supported to breastfeed successfully. Fathers must be directly involved in breastfeeding discussions and providers must describe the important role fathers play in breastfeeding success. Additionally, fathers need to be counseled on all safe sleep practices for their infants. To reduce racial disparities in sudden unexpected infant deaths, we need tailored strategies to increase safe infant sleep in the Black community, including public awareness campaigns and home visiting programs. These interventions must involve both parents to be most effective.”
The study included 250 fathers who were interviewed two to six months after the birth of the child.
“As pediatricians, we are focused on how to ensure the best health outcomes for children, with successful breastfeeding and safe sleep practices being two key behaviors that influence children’s health,” said lead author Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP, founder of Family & Child. Health Innovation Program (FCHIP) at Lurie Children’s. He is a professor of pediatrics and medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Our study highlights the fact that fathers play a big role in both of these behaviors, but more needs to be done to support fathers. For example, we found that fathers with a college degree were more likely to report that their child had breastfed and were more likely to receive instruction on infant sleep safety. To improve children’s health outcomes, we need to ensure that breastfeeding and safe sleep guidance reach all new parents fairly.”
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