Effect of some characteristics of fathers on paternal-infant attachment in the postpartum period

Abstract

Introduction and aim. The paternal attachment can affect the academic, social and emotional development of the child in the future. The study was conducted in a descriptive-cross-sectional design to determine the impacts of some characteristics of fathers on paternal attachment. Material and method. The study was conducted with 278 fathers who had 3-12 months old infants. The data were collected by using the “Father Information Form” and the “Postnatal Paternal-Infant Attachment Questionnaire (PPAQ)”. Results. It was found in the present that the mean PPAQ score of the fathers who were exposed to domestic violence in their childhood was significantly lower than those who were not (p=0.001). The mean PPAQ score of the fathers whose infant was born by cesarean section (p=0.017) and who had physical contact for the first 24 hours (p=0.047) was found to be significantly higher. The mean PPAQ score was significantly higher in fathers who had a physical contact duration of 7 hours or more than those with less physical contact durations (p=0.030). Conclusion. In this study, some characteristics of fathers were found to affect father-infant attachment. It may be recommended to plan preventive interventions for risky fathers.