Importance of men: The influence of paternal involvement on infant mortality

Background Most research on infant mortality has focused on the contribution of maternal characteristics and behaviors but not those of fathers. Father involvement may be more variable for unmarried parents but little is known about how it affects infant mortality.

Methods A sample of infants of unmarried mothers (N=33,969) was selected from the National Center for Vital Statistics' 2002 Linked Birth and Infant Death data file. Using Cox Proportional Hazards Models, the study examined the risk of the death of an infant within the first 365 days of life as a function of paternal involvement during the pregnancy, maternal health behaviors, and low birth weight. Maternal age, education, and race/ethnicity were controlled.

Results When fathers were not involved, there was a 67% higher risk of infant mortality (p<.0001). Half of the effect of low involvement on infant mortality was explained by the mother receiving inadequate prenatal care.

Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that the association between father involvement and infant mortality is partially explained by the mother being less likely to receive adequate prenatal care and subsequently to have a low birth weight infant. Additional exploration is warranted to learn more about the relationship between paternal involvement during pregnancy, maternal behavior, and infant mortality.