Fathers Of Children Research Articles

Talk outside the box: Parents’ decontextualized language during preschool years relates to child numeracy and literacy skills in middle childhood

Children’s literacy and numeracy skills are fundamental for early academic performance and later academic success, mental health, and employment prospects in adulthood. Given that parents play a key role in promoting child development, identifying early parenting behaviors that predict literacy and numeracy skills is a research imperative. Emerging evidence suggests that parental use of decontextualized language (DL)—talk that requires cognitive abstraction and transcends the here and now—predicts children’s literacy skills. However, its relation to numeracy remains underexplored. Accordingly, the current study examined how DL during interaction with children in infancy (T1) and preschool years (T2) relates to child literacy and numeracy in middle childhood (T3). Participants were 26 Irish mother–father–child triads (16 female children). At T1 and T2, participants engaged in 5-min interactions that were coded for DL. At T3, child literacy and numeracy were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition and teacher report of child scores on national standardized tests. Controlling for child age and contextualized utterances, child reading in middle childhood was negatively related to maternal and child DL in infancy but was positively related to DL during preschool years, suggesting that the benefits of DL may become apparent later in development. Mothers’, fathers’, and children’s DL during preschool years was also positively linked with child numeracy in middle childhood. Thus, embedding DL in conversation with children may have positive domain-specific and cross-domain effects on children’s literacy and numeracy performance. Findings provide incentive for future research to examine relations between DL and children’s school performance across a wider range of developmental domains.

Household adult smoking behaviors and prevalence of asthma in Greek schoolchildren: five surveys during 1998-2018.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is a well-recognized risk factor for asthma development and poor asthma control in children. However, the relationship between changes in parental smoking habits over time and the prevalence of childhood asthma remains largely unknown. Our objective was to investigate the trends of parental smoking behaviors in relation to childhood wheeze/asthma rates over a 20-year period. A standardized questionnaire on household overall smoking and household indoor tobacco smoking (HITS) habits was distributed to 8-9-years-old school children in the context of five cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1998 (n=3,076), 2003 (n=2,725), 2008 (n=2,688), 2013 (n=2,554) and 2018 (n=2,648). The parental overall smoking and HITS rates have substantially decreased during the study period (p-for-trend<0.001). However, while HITS declined among the fathers of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children as well as among the mothers of non-asthmatic ones (p-for-trend<0.001), it remained unchanged in the case of the mothers of asthmatic participants (p-for-trend 0.283). The mothers of asthmatic children consistently reported more HITS than those of non-asthmatic participants, while prevalence changes of current wheeze/asthma over the surveillance period were in complete agreement with changes in maternal HITS (cross-correlation coefficient 0.918 at zero-year lag) but not with paternal smoking behaviors. Overall and indoor smoking rates of school children's adult family members declined substantially during the 1998-2018 period in Greece. However, no such trend was noted among mothers of asthmatic children, while temporal changes in maternal indoor smoking rates occurred in parallel with those of childhood asthma prevalence.

The Journey Full of Emotions: Parents’ Experiences in Raising Children with Cerebral Palsy

Raising a child with cerebral palsy (CP) is a formidable challenge for parents that can lead to tension and reality denial. This qualitative study aims to explore the parenting experience and the acceptance process of parents towards children with CP. This study used a qualitative design with semi-structured in-depth interviews. Three mothers and two fathers of children with CP were involved as interviewees. Data analysis was carried out using deductive thematic analysis technique. Common themes such as post-diagnosis denial; a long and emotional acceptance process; spouse's involvement in parenting; spiritual implication; the need for community support, are experienced by parents. Parental acceptance towards a child with CP is a long, complex, and emotional process. In conclusion, families that are able to achieve acceptance more easily adapting to family changes and dealing with stress. The findings of this study became an important milestone for the development of studies in the fields of family, disability, and social work.

Infant and preschool attachment, continuity and relationship to caregiving sensitivity: findings from a new population-based Australian cohort.

Here, we report new prevalence and temporal stability data for child attachment and parental caregiving behaviour, from infancy (1 year) to preschool (4 years). Attachment (SSP) and caregiving data (MBQS) were from observations of parents and their infants and preschoolers, who represent the third generation of participants within an Australian longitudinal cohort. At 1 year (n = 314 dyads) and at 4 years (n = 368 dyads), proportions assessed secure were 59% and 71%, respectively. Proportions assessed avoidant were 15% and 11%; ambivalent 9% and 6%, and disorganised 17% and 12%, at 1 and 4 years. Continuity of attachment pattern was highest for the infant secure group. Of dyads initially classified disorganised in infancy, 36% remained so at the preschool assessment. Attachment and caregiving continuities across the infancy-preschool period were highest for the stable secure attachment group and lowest for the stable insecure attachment group. Loss of secure attachment to mother by age 4 years correlated with decreased maternal caregiving sensitivity, and acquisition of secure status by age 4 was associated with increased maternal sensitivity. We found no difference in caregiving sensitivity scores for mothers and fathers for female and male preschool children. The contemporary infant and preschool attachment proportions we report here closely mirror the patterns of those reported in prior decades, with an inclination towards secure base relationships. Our findings alert practitioners anew to the responsiveness of early attachment status to change in caregiving responsiveness and support ongoing investment in early identification of disorganised attachment.

Determination of Custody Rights (Hadhanah) for Children Who Are Not Yet Mumayiz to the Father

Background. One of the legal consequences of the breakdown of marriage due to divorce is the custody of children, which in fiqh literature is called Hadhanah. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to: (a) provide information on the distribution of hadhanah rights to fathers for children who are not yet Mumayiz due to divorce. Method. The research method used in this research is a qualitative method with the type of normative juridical research based on primary and secondary legal materials, namely research that refers to the norms contained in the legislation. Hadhanah is a right that must be fulfilled by adults who are required to take care of the needs of a child including providing education and support to children who are not old enough. Results. The results of this study indicate that hadhanah in Islamic law prioritizes the best interests of the child. This is in accordance with the basic principles of Islamic law (found in the Qur'an and Hadith), which state that children have inherent rights in relation to both parents. Likewise, it is used in positive law in Indonesia. Parental authority over children after divorce according to the provisions of the two laws (Islamic Law and Indonesian Positive Law) is in line. Both divorced parents must continue to fulfill their children's hadhanah in accordance with the rights of children in the Child Protection Law, namely, the rights to life, growth, protection and participation. Conclusion. Therefore, when a divorce occurs, it will have certain legal consequences, especially the issue of Hadhanah (child custody). Hadhanah itself in fiqh terms is used two words but intended for the same purpose, namely Kafalah and Hadhanah. what is meant by Hadhanah or Kafalah in a simple sense is 'Maintenance or 'Care.

Strong Father-Child Relationships and Other Positive Childhood Experiences, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Sexual Risk Factors for HIV among Young Adults Aged 19-24 Years, Namibia, 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Using cross-sectional data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey and sex-stratified multivariable models, we assessed the associations between four different positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and having ≥3 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including ≥3 ACE-PCE interaction terms, and seven sexual risk factors for HIV acquisition among young adults aged 19-24 years. One PCE, having a strong father-child relationship, was inversely associated with two risk factors among women (lifetime transactional sex (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7) and recent age-disparate sexual relationships (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5)), and significantly interacted with having ≥3 ACEs for three risk factors among women (not knowing a partner's HIV status, infrequently using condoms, and ever having an STI) and one among men (having multiple sexual partners in the past year). The other PCEs were significantly associated with ≤1 HIV risk factor and had no significant interaction terms. Strong father-child relationships may reduce HIV acquisition risk and mitigate the effect of childhood adversity on HIV risk among young adults in Namibia.

HLA-G Alleles Impact the Perinatal Father-Child HPV Transmission.

The host factors that influence father-to-child human papillomavirus (HPV) transmission remain unknown. This study evaluated whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G alleles are important in father-to-child HPV transmission during the perinatal period. Altogether, 134 father-newborn pairs from the Finnish Family HPV Study were included. Oral, semen and urethral samples from the fathers were collected before the delivery, and oral samples were collected from their offspring at delivery and postpartum on day 3 and during 1-, 2- and 6-month follow-up visits. HLA-G alleles were tested by direct sequencing. Unconditional logistic regression was used to determine the association of the father-child HLA-G allele and genotype concordance with the father-child HPV prevalence and concordance at birth and during follow-up. HLA-G allele G*01:01:03 concordance was associated with the father's urethral and child's oral high-risk (HR)-HPV concordance at birth (OR 17.00, 95% CI: 1.24-232.22). HLA-G allele G*01:04:01 concordance increased the father's oral and child's postpartum oral any- and HR-HPV concordance with an OR value of 7.50 (95% CI: 1.47-38.16) and OR value of 7.78 (95% CI: 1.38-43.85), respectively. There was no association between different HLA-G genotypes and HPV concordance among the father-child pairs at birth or postpartum. To conclude, the HLA-G allele concordance appears to impact the HPV transmission between the father and his offspring.

Engaging fathers to strengthen the impact of early home visitation on physical child abuse risk: Findings from the dads matter-HV randomized controlled trial

BackgroundDespite growing recognition of the importance of fathers in child abuse risk, the field of perinatal home visitation has only begun to consider fathers' roles in the implementation of such services. ObjectivesThis study examines the effectiveness of Dads Matter-HV (“DM-HV”), a father-inclusion enhancement to home visitation, and hypothesized mediators of impact. MethodsA multisite cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 17 home visiting program teams serving 204 families across study conditions. Program supervisors and their teams were randomized to deliver home visiting services plus DM-HV enhanced services (intervention) or home visiting services alone (control). Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 4 months post-baseline immediately following the intervention, and 12 months post-baseline. We employed structural equation modeling to estimate the effect of the intervention on physical child abuse risk and to trace hypothesized mediators, including the quality of the father-worker relationship, parents' partner support and abuse, and the timing of service initiation. ResultsResults indicated that the DM-HV enhancement improved home visitor relationships with fathers, but only for families receiving services initiated postnatally. For these families, the improved quality of the father-worker relationship predicted improved parents' support of one another and reduced bidirectional mother-father partner abuse at 4-month follow-up, which in turn lowered maternal physical child abuse risk and paternal physical child abuse risk at 12-month follow-up. ConclusionsDM-HV can strengthen the impact of home visitation services on physical child abuse risk for families when services are initiated postnatally.

Father–child relationship and children’s peer competence: Mediated by children’s emotional regulation and environmental adaptation

This study aimed to explore father–child relationships and young children’s peer competence, as mediated by child emotional regulation and environmental adaptation. The children’s fathers and teachers completed peer competence, child emotional regulation and environmental adaptation measures on 216 Chinese children and their fathers. The results, following correlation analysis by SPSS 25.0 and validation analysis by AMOS modelling, demonstrated that: (a) a higher score on the parent–child relationship scale was associated with a higher children’s peer competence score; and (b) emotional regulation and environmental adaptation in the children’s ego resilience mediated between the father–child relationship and was associated with young children’s higher peer competence. These findings indicate that father–child relationship quality is important to children’s peer competence with superior emotional regulation and environmental adaptation. Therefore, educators should help enhance the parent–child relationship to improve children’s emotional regulation and school adaptation.

Paternity testing using 21 STR Loci in a biotechnology approach: case of Rwandan Population

INTRODUCTION: We focused on a sample size of 141 unrelated Rwandan persons to genotype21 STR loci that were relied up in establishing allele frequencies, heterozygosity and power ofexclusion. This study aims at exploring allele frequencies on a representative sample from Rwandanpopulation to determine probability of paternity for sampled families basing on polymorphic STRsloci, using 21 autosomal-STR loci by Genetic Analyzer 3500X.METHODS: This was an experimental study and global filer TM Express PCR Amplification kit wasused to amplify 21 autosomal STR loci.RESULTS: The total number of observed alleles was 270; the largest number of different alleleswas seen in SE33 and D18S51 loci. The locus with the highest heterozygosity was SE33, while locusTH01 had the lowest heterozygosity. The heterozygosity of the 21 STR loci ranged from 71.3%(TH01) to 91.6% (SE33) with an average of 81.1% a good indicator of high genetic variability. Forall microsatellites analyzed the power of exclusion ranged from 43.4% (TH01) to 78.1% (SE33)with an average of 58.2%. For seven of eight cases examined in paternity test alleged father wasnot excluded as biological father of child. The results found in examination of case 8 indicated thatthe alleged father was not the biological father of the child.CONCLUSION: Based on calculated statistical parameters, the population of Rwanda may usethese 21 STR loci as a vital tool for forensic identification and paternity testing.

Fatherhood and Child–Father Attachment in Two Small-Scale Societies

Variation in attachment quality was assessed in 92 one- to three-year-olds’ (49 female, 43 male) attachment to their father, within and across two small-scale, subsistence populations: the Tsimane of lowland Bolivia ( n = 29 dyads) and Tannese of Vanuatu ( n = 63 dyads). Overall, the Tsimane and Tannese populations show similarity in the patterning of child–father attachment relative to samples from industrialized societies, with 52% of Tsimane dyads and 62% of Tannese dyads showing secure attachment. However, the insecure-ambivalent attachment was more frequent among Tsimane and Tannese dyads relative to samples from industrialized societies, and attachment security was greater for sons than for daughters in Tanna. Of several attributes of fathers, only reports by mothers of how frequently fathers play with their children are associated with child–father secure attachment. Fathers who scored highly on this measure were more likely to have children with secure attachments. Studies of child–father attachment are rare outside of industrialized populations yet are critical to understanding the mechanisms underlying child–father relationships.

Conceptualisation of family and language practice in family language policy research on migrants: a systematic review

AbstractFamily language policy (FLP) is increasingly recognised as a distinct domain of language policy concerned with the family as an arena of language policy formulation and implementation. While FLP is a relatively new research area, its conceptualisation of family and language practice requires re-examination due to social changes and technological developments, including the expansion of digital communication within families and the rise of globally dispersed families a product of global migration and transnationalism. In this systematic review of migrant FLP research, we investigate how the notions of family and language practice are conceptualised in research. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we identified a total of 163 articles for analysis. Our analysis reveals that the majority of studies were conducted in nuclear families, i.e., those consisting of a father, a mother, and one or more children. Studies also tend to conceptualise the family as fixed and physically located in one place. Paradoxically, around half of the studies acknowledge the presence of geographically dispersed family relations, but this does not necessarily affect their conceptualisation of what comprises a family. Language practice was conceptualised as physical and face-to-face communication in 51% of instances, with only 11% incorporating an analysis of digital communications. Based on our review, we recommend that FLP researchers researching migrant families reconceptualise the family as geographically dispersed and language practice as digital and multimodal when necessary. Such a reconceptualisation will help researchers understand the hitherto underexamined contributions of dispersed family members and multimodal digital communications in migrant FLP.

The roles of child temperament, parent stress, and parenting style in family mealtimes

Family mealtimes are associated with benefits for children, including healthy eating, fewer behavior problems, and healthy psychological well-being. However, the interactions during family mealtimes, and the parent and child characteristics, which may affect both the family mealtime environment and the associated benefits in children are not fully understood. The goal of this study was to examine the role of child and parent characteristics on the family mealtime environment. We tested several mediation models to explain how child temperament (negative affectivity), parent stress, and the dimensions of parent feeding style (responsiveness and demandingness) interact and influence each other to impact the structure and quality of the mealtime environment. Parents (68 mothers; 82 fathers) of children between 2 and 6 years completed an online survey. Measures included the Children's Behavior Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire, and The Meals in Our Household Questionnaire. Child negative affectivity was associated with poorer mealtime quality and structure. These associations were mediated through parent responsiveness, but not demandingness. The role of demandingness in family mealtimes may depend on parent responsiveness. When examined together in a serial mediation model, child negative affectivity increased parent stress, which reduced responsiveness, and led to poorer mealtime quality and structure. These results emphasize the complex relationships between child temperament, parent stress, and the dimensions of parenting styles that occur within the mealtime context. This line of research is essential for understanding family mealtime dynamics and informing future studies aimed at creating positive interactions between parents and children during mealtimes.

The Linguistic Input of Fathers of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Purpose: This study presents an exploration of facilitative language techniques (FLTs) used by fathers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in the natural environment. Method: This investigation utilized the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) to collect full-day audio samples from three families with children who were DHH and between 22 and 27 months of age. A total of 6 hr of audio recordings per participant was manually coded for the presence of 10 FLTs used by fathers in the natural environment. These data were compared with FLT use by mothers from the same samples. Results: Fathers of children who are DHH used fewer overall FLTs, fewer responsive FLTs, and more directives compared with mothers. Conclusions: Results of this analysis indicate that fathers provide less linguistic input to their children who are DHH in the natural environment. Furthermore, their input tends to be directive in nature rather than responsive to the child. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23511948

The Child-Mother-Father-Teacher Relationship Network in Kindergarten and Its Association with Children's Social and Academic Development: An Ecological Perspective.

This study examines how a set of the child's proximal relationships (mother-child, father-child, and teacher-child) and parent-teacher relationships relate to the child's prosocial and learning behaviors in kindergarten. The sample included 95 mother-father-child triads (child mean age 5.9 years) and 42 kindergarten teachers. All adults reported on their relationship with the child and on their perceptions of parent-teacher relationships. Teachers reported on the child's behaviors. Main findings: (1) All proximal relationships and the teachers' relationships with mothers and fathers were related to children's outcomes; and (2) different patterns of associations were found between father-child and mother-child relationships, and teacher-child relationship, parent-teacher relationships, and children's outcomes. These findings hint to the different roles of fathers and mothers in their children's development and to distinguished patterns of relationships of mothers and fathers with kindergarten teachers.

A longitudinal examination of mental health and marital functioning of mothers and fathers of autistic adolescents during COVID-19.

Parents of autistic children may be especially vulnerable to the negative effects of COVID-19. The current study examined changes in mental health and marital functioning of mothers and fathers of autistic children across three time points between April and October 2020. The study also explored whether pre-COVID factors could predict outcomes during the pandemic. Participants were 94 mothers and 58 fathers of autistic children drawn from a larger study about family relationships and autistic children's mental health that began prior to the pandemic. Results indicated that mothers reported higher levels of mental health problems compared to fathers in July and October 2020. Levels of mental health and marital functioning did not change between April and October 2020. Pre-pandemic child functioning and marital satisfaction predicted changes in mother's ratings of marital satisfaction. The findings have implications for ways to best support families during challenging periods.

Work arrangements and father involvement during COVID‐19 lockdown: A mixed methods study

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to examine how father involvement and family relationships changed during the COVID‐19 lockdown and their relations to fathers' work arrangements.BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic has transformed how parents arrange their work and family in China and elsewhere. Many fathers, once working long hours at the workplace, had to adjust their work arrangements, working reduced hours or working from home.MethodThis study used a mixed methods design. Participants were parents of preschool or school‐age children in China. In Study 1, 31 mothers were interviewed about the change in father involvement and family relationships during the COVID‐19 lockdown compared with pre‐COVID‐19. In Study 2, a sample of father–mother dyads (N = 637) completed survey measures of work arrangements, father involvement, and family relationships.ResultsStudy 1 suggested increased father involvement and improved family relationships amid the lockdown and highlighted the role of fathers' work. Study 2 revealed that fathers' changed work arrangements (i.e., working from home) were associated with higher father involvement and more positive family relationships during the lockdown. Father involvement may mediate the associations between fathers' work arrangements and father–child closeness as well as mothers' marital satisfaction.Conclusion and ImplicationsWorking from home could promote involved fathering and stronger family relationships, strengthening the family's overall capacity to combat the stressors and challenges brought by the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Shared parental responsiveness among fathers and mothers with low income and early child outcomes

AbstractObjectiveInformed by the family systems theory, the current study aimed to examine whether shared parental responsiveness between fathers and mothers with low income was associated with preschoolers' developmental outcomes.BackgroundBoth fathers' and mothers' parental responsiveness are key contributors to their young children's development. However, the ways in which fathers and mothers work as a system, as well as the role of shared parental responsiveness in child development, are not well understood, especially among families from low‐income contexts.MethodParticipants were from the Building Strong Families project, a racially diverse group of families from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds (N = 1,173). Fathers' and mothers' parental responsiveness were observed during father–child and mother–child interactions using the two‐bags task. Preschoolers' child behavior problems, prosocial behaviors, and receptive language served as developmental outcomes of interest. A common fate approach to dyadic analysis was employed to create shared responsiveness and individual residual variance latent variables, which the child outcomes were regressed onto. Moderation analysis by fathers' resident status was conducted.ResultsShared responsiveness positively predicted preschoolers' prosocial behaviors (Β = 0.33, p &lt; .001) and receptive language (Β = 14.85, p &lt; .001), above and beyond individual residual variance. Fathers' resident status did not moderate any of the examined relationships.ConclusionThere may be benefits to young children's development when mothers and fathers demonstrate shared responsiveness.Implications.Interventions serving families with low income could help strengthen mother–father shared responsiveness to promote child development.

A Psychosocial Care Model for Families Affected by Congenital Heart Disease.

To develop a model of family-based psychosocial care for congenital heart disease (CHD). Qualitative study using crowdsourced data collected from parents of young children with CHD who received care across 42 hospitals. Yammer, a social networking platform used to facilitate online crowdsourcing and qualitative data collection. Geographically diverse sample of 100 parents (72 mothers and 28 fathers) of young children with CHD. None. Parents joined a private group on Yammer and responded to 37 open-ended study questions over a 6-month period. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using an iterative process. Three broad themes corresponding to pillars of family-based psychosocial care were identified: pillar 1) parent partnership in family-integrated medical care, pillar 2) supportive interactions focused on parent and family wellbeing, and pillar 3) integrated psychosocial care and peer support for parents and families. Each pillar was supported by subthemes corresponding to specific intervention strategies. Most parents described the need for intervention strategies across multiple pillars, with almost half reporting needs across all three pillars of psychosocial care. Parents' preferences for psychosocial support changed over time with changes to their child's medical status and across care settings (e.g., hospital, outpatient clinic). Results support a model of family-based psychosocial care that is multidimensional and flexible to meet the needs of families affected by CHD. All members of the healthcare team play an important role in providing psychosocial support. Future research incorporating components of implementation science is needed to promote uptake of these findings, with the goal of optimizing family-based psychosocial support in the hospital setting and beyond.

Are We Together in This? Relationship Experiences of Parents of Children with Craniofacial Anomalies.

The birth of a child with a craniofacial anomaly (CFA) can have a profound psychological impact on the family and the parental relationship. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate how a child's CFA condition affected parents' couple relationship. All patients with a CFA are followed-up by the National Unit for Craniofacial Surgery, a specialized and multidisciplinary team. Hence, participants were recruited within a centralized treatment setting. We used a qualitative approach to explore the relationship experiences of parents of children with CFAs. The interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. The study included 13 parents, nine mothers and four fathers of children with a range of different CFAs. At the time of the interview, 10 participants were married, one was cohabiting, and two were divorced. Most participants perceived their partners as committed and engaged in caring for their affected child and involved in the family's everyday life, and described a strengthened relationship to their partner after the child with a CFA was born. However, some participants struggled in their relationships with their partners, and did not receive the comfort and support they needed during this critical time, leading to feelings of distance and loneliness. Craniofacial teams should be mindful of the importance of the environment surrounding the child, such as parental relationship and family function. Therefore, a comprehensive approach should be included in team-based care, and couples and families in need of extra support should be referred to relevant specialists.