444 - Fathering a Child Born Preterm: Associations with Parenting Profiles

Poster Number: 444
Publication Number: 444.121

Jemima K. Walker, Mothers, Babies and Women's Health Program, Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Grace C. Fitzallen, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Carmina Erdei, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Hudson (Gerry) Taylor, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Samudragupta Bora, Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Background: Mothers and fathers have distinct parenting experiences immediately after preterm birth across multiple dimensions, including parenting sense of competence, reflective functioning, and parenting behaviors. Parenting is known to influence child development and family outcomes. However, limited evidence exists for fathers’ parenting experiences post NICU discharge.

Objective: Describe parenting outcomes (sense of competence, reflective functioning, behaviors) in fathers of infants ( < 1 year) born preterm ( < 37 weeks gestation) relative to toddlers (1-2 years), preschoolers (3-5 years), and school-aged children (6-12 years). Of particular interest, to identify heterogenous profiles of parenting outcomes and child neonatal, child concurrent, family social risk, and psychopathology correlates of profile membership.

Design/Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, 292 biological fathers of children born preterm were stratified into four groups corresponding to child chronological age: 64 infants, 80 toddlers, 84 preschoolers, 64 school-aged children. Self-reported paternal outcomes were assessed using standardized tools: Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC; 17-item), Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ; 18-item), Infant Parenting Styles Questionnaire (IPSQ; 25-item) and Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS; 34-item). Data on paternal psychopathology were collected using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (21-item).

Results: Fathers of infants reported lower certainty (p < .05) about their child’s mental states (PRFQ) than preschoolers (Cohen’s d=0.69) and school-aged children (d=0.87), but similar to toddlers. No statistically significant associations were evident for the remaining pairwise comparisons. As shown in Figure 1, two-step cluster analysis identified two heterogenous parental subgroups: Positive Parenting Profile (64%) and Negative Parenting Profile (36%). Fathers demonstrating Negative Parenting Profile were more likely (p < .05) to be the parent of a child with speech/language impairment (β=0.34), not have current access to professional mental health support (β=3.05), and be characterized by paternal depression (β=1.06). Conclusion(s): Findings suggest that one-third of fathers after preterm birth are at risk for more maladaptive parenting outcomes, related to both paternal and child factors. Findings highlight the crucial need for inclusion of fathers in post NICU discharge planning and involvement in neurodevelopment follow-up.
Fathers' Parenting Profiles by Outcomes on Each Parenting Subdomain