Partners of perinatal substance users: Forgotten, failing, or fit to father?

Abstract

The role fathers play in families affected by perinatal substance use largely has been unexamined. It is difficult to reconcile this peripheral role assigned to the fathers of substance-exposed infants as the importance of fathers in the lives of children and of partners in the lives of substance-using women has become better appreciated. In this article, case presentations of families in which both parents were substance users illustrate the complexities and diverse trajectories of relationships between perinatal substance users and their children's fathers. An examination of families' lives can be used to better understand the challenges they face, stimulate further discussion about how partners of perinatal substance users can be conceptualized as fathers, and consider the impact they have in the lives of their children and their children's mothers. Discussion of case studies can yield increased knowledge about the role of fathers in the lives of families affected by perinatal substance abuse. This will lead to better-informed treatment interventions, research, and public policy.