How the mental health of dads is affected by premature birth

📷 Photography by Nathan Dumlao @nate_dumlao

Becoming a father can be a a stressful and sometime daunting experience. For dads whose babies are born prematurely, this is especially true.

The premature birth of a baby comes with its own set of pressures and challenges. A recent study by Monash University focused on the mental health of fathers of babies who were born very prematurely and the impact that had on their early parenting behaviours.

The study followed the journey of 100 fathers of babies who were born before 30 weeks gestation. One in five fathers experienced high depressive symptoms and approximately half of all father suffered from moderate anxiety symptoms that lasted for the first 12 months of their baby’s life.

However, the study also found those with more severe mental health symptoms had little effect on the fathers’ parenting behaviours after their baby had reached twelve months.

Studies on fathers’ experiences following a very premature birth are rare but Grace McMahon who lead the research says that they are crucial in understanding the stresses placed on families and how that impacts on the babies’ wellbeing and development.

“The high rates of fathers reporting persistent mental health difficulties in this study is concerning and highlights the need to include fathers in ongoing mental health screening and support following a very premature birth,'“ Ms McMahon said.

“While our finding of minimal impact of depression and anxiety symptoms on fathers’ early parenting behaviours is encouraging news for fathers suffering with mental difficulties, we do believe that these relationships are complex and further research is needed to better understand the experiences of fathers following a very premature birth.”