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Addressing Policy Barriers to Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy

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Abstract

Efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States have failed to incorporate paternal involvement. Research suggests that paternal involvement, which has been recognized as contributing to child development and health for many decades, is likely to affect infant mortality through the mother’s well-being, primarily her access to resources and support. In spite of that, systemic barriers facing the father and the influence on his involvement in the pregnancy have received little attention. The Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes (CPIPO) has identified the most important social barriers to paternal involvement during pregnancy and outlined a set of key policy priorities aimed at fostering paternal involvement. This article summarizes the key recommendations, including equitable paternity leave, elimination of marriage as a tax and public assistance penalty, integration of fatherhood initiatives in MCH programs, support of low-income fathers through employment training, father inclusion in family planning services, and expansion of birth data collection to include father information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 644, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Amina P. Alio

  2. Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Washington, DC, USA

    M. Jermane Bond

  3. School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Yolanda C. Padilla

  4. Departments of Family Medicine and Urology, Ypsilanti Health Center, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Joel J. Heidelbaugh

  5. College of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Michael Lu

  6. Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Inc, Washington, DC, USA

    Willie J. Parker

Authors
  1. Amina P. Alio
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  2. M. Jermane Bond
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  3. Yolanda C. Padilla
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  4. Joel J. Heidelbaugh
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  5. Michael Lu
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  6. Willie J. Parker
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Correspondence to Amina P. Alio.

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Alio, A.P., Bond, M.J., Padilla, Y.C. et al. Addressing Policy Barriers to Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy. Matern Child Health J 15, 425–430 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0781-1

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