Reflective functioning in fathers with young children born preterm and at term

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample description.

	Preterm (n = 74)		At term (n = 99)		Total (n = 173)
	M (SD)	%	M (SD)	%	M (SD)	%
CHILD
Age (months)	15.68 (2.15)		16.10 (2.27)		15. 92 (2.23)
Gender (female)		45.9		40.8		42.9
Gestational age (weeks)	28.30 (3.08)		39.88 (1.17)		33.37 (6.25)
FATHER
Age (years)	38.21 (6.10)		36.78 (6.25)		37.56 (6.18)
Education
University degree		45.5		62.2		53.0
High school degree		20.0		28.8		24.00
Vocational diploma		30.9		8.9		21.0
Employmnt status
Unemployed		1.8		0.0		1.0
Paternal leave		1.8		4.3		3.0
Employed (hours/week)	41.07 (8.55)	89.1	37.02 (10.96)	93.5	39.16 (9.92)	91.1
MOTHER
Age (years)	35.78 (5.80)		34.15 (4.84)		35.06 (5.43)
Education
University degree		46.2		60.5		52.6
High school degree		26.9		25.6		26.3
Vocational diploma		21.2		14.0		17.9
Employment status
Unemployed		1.9		0.0		1.1
Maternal leave		59.6		55.8		57.9
Employed (hours/week)	22.31 (11.81)	30.8	21.39 (11.01)	39.5	21.84 (11.26)	34.7

M = Mean; SD = Standard Deviation.

Figure 1. Reflective functioning (mean scores) in fathers and mothers of children born preterm and at term.

Note. Only RF scores from 1 and greater (but not lower) were obtained.

Table 2. Topics from the parent development interview including examples.

Care Attitude TOPIC 1: Adapting to daily care routines: “When I say ‘Come on, let’s get dressed’, he does sit down on the stairs and lets me put on his sweater and then his jacket, his hood, put on the shoes and then the scarf, and yes, those are the situations that actually show that we really get along very well.” (Father of a 14-month old, born at term)

TOPIC 2: Shaping the family atmosphere: […] “But I still think he gets on well with me. And as I have influenced him now, yes I believe that the basic mood in the family and the happiness, that this already works, that you pass that on. He is also very cheerful. This is certainly related to the family. It is quite clear, I would say, that if there is a negative atmosphere at home, the children are not happy either.” (Mother of a 14-month old, born at term) TOPIC 3: Teaching and sharing social norms: “He already understands that he is not allowed to do it and strangely enough there are things he accepts that he is not allowed to do and other things, where he just does not accept it … but in the end, he is too small for someone to really say he should behave well.” (Mother of a 14-month old, born preterm) Parental Role TOPIC 4: Overcoming ambivalence in parenting: “I don’t feel so good as a dad because I think I’m there for Lisa, but at that moment, in those 5 tense minutes, she makes me feel the opposite, because she does not feel comfortable with me. Because it is 100% better with mom.” (Father of a 14-month old, born preterm) TOPIC 5: Providing fun and entertainment: “We danced on Saturday morning and were perfectly attuned to each other. There are some songs, I suppose it depends on the beat or the bass, where she starts to dance, that was after the shower, and she was with me in the bathroom, and then we both just started to dance. That was pretty funny, actually!” (Father of a 15-month old, born at term) TOPIC 6: Matching parenthood with other interests: “So I always bring him to the child minder, but not before 9 a.m. But he gets up between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. These 3 hours in between, I spend with him alone in the morning, as I said. We just keep up our rituals and then in the evening I try to spend time with him, at least my play lesson with him or my reading time.” (Father of a 16-month old, born at term) Child Development TOPIC 7: Meeting the child’s needs: “When he wakes up in the night and is thirsty or he just wants me to stay with him, I lay him down and caress him. …. If he just notices someone is there, he often falls asleep right away…” (Father of a 14-month old, born preterm)

TOPIC 8: Monitoring the child’s development: “Well, as she was transferred from one hospital to the other and then somehow a lot of tubes were all over her… I go back home at 9.30 p.m. at the latest, and feel sad that I left my little one behind. And now, if I say goodbye, she knows exactly Daddy is just going to work, well, that’s not a big problem anymore.” (Father of a 16-month old, born at term)

TOPIC 9: Ensuring the child’s well-being: “… he feels that he is being loved. He actually feels that way because the attachment is secure. And it doesn’t matter, even if he goes away a bit, it stays that way. You cannot take that away; he takes this secure feeling with him. And I want to give him the security somewhere so that he knows okay, I’m alone in the nursery, but it’s not a problem.” (Mother of a 14-month old, born preterm)

TOPIC 10: Recognizing the child’s developmental potential: “He really understands a lot already and I just said, Johannes, can you pass me the cheese, and he takes the cheese, wants to give it to me, and his arm is just too short and he can’t reach me. And before I lean over, my husband wants to take the cheese and pass it on to me and Johannes is so mad at his Daddy and says ‘No, Mummy.” (Mother of a 16-month old, born at term)

TOPIC 11: Understanding the child’s thoughts and feelings: “You just notice when you are very close with each other or you look into each other’s eyes or when you have critical situations where you look someone deeply in the eyes and say, ‘You cannot do that’, you then realize that he accepts it, that he has to have full confidence, of course, but that he feels that confidence anyway.” (Mother of a 12-month old, born preterm)

Table 3. Prevalence of topics predicted by parent gender, birth status and reflective functioning.

	Care Attitude									Parental Role
	Topic 1: Adapting to daily care routines			Topic 2: Shaping the family atmosphere			Topic 3: Teaching and sharing social norms			Topic 4: Overcoming ambiva- lence in parenting			Topic 5: Providing fun and entertainment			Topic 6: Matching parenthood with other interests
Variable	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x	p	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x)	p
Parent gender	9.0	155.1	.003	18.0	161.2	>.001	0.1	155.2	.736	1.1	152.7	.306	11.6	156.7	.001	2.6	145.3	.110
Birth status	0.8	160.2	.370	0.5	163.8	.501	0.3	161.4	.584	4.3	159.5	.040	0.5	166.4	.474	0.6	157.9	.427
Parent gender × Birth status	0.0	155.1	.908	1.1	161.2	.307	2.0	155.2	.156	2.6	152.7	.111	0.7	156.7	.400	0.0	145.3	.929
RF	1.2	288.9	.273	4.1	286.5	.045	4.1	289.9	.043	0.2	290.4	.685	0.0	291.8	.957	4.5	291.8	.035
RF × Parent gender	0.1	272.8	.735	0.9	278.7	.353	3.5	270.7	.063	0.0	268.5	.840	2.0	263.7	.159	4.0	252.3	.047
RF × Birth status	0.8	288.9	.371	0.2	286.5	.691	0.1	289.9	.755	2.1	290.4	.154	0.0	291.8	.881	2.1	291.8	.145
RF × Parent gender × Birth status	1.1	272.8	.288	0.4	278.7	.544	0.0	270.7	.951	2.5	268.5	.115	2.0	263.7	.163	0.1	252.3	.754
Child Development
	Topic 7: Meeting the child’s needs			Topic 8: Monitoring the child’s development			Topic 9: Ensuring the child’s well-being			Topic 10: Recognizing the child’s potential			Topic 11: Understanding the child’s thoughts and feelings
Variable	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x)	p	F	df (1,x	p	F	df (1,x)	p
Parent gender	43.7	160.0	>.001	1.3	163.7	.250	2.1	158.1	.145	2.1	158.4	.145	39.2	158.9	>.001
Birth status	0.6	160.8	.424	2.0	165.0	.162	3.3	164.9	.073	0.8	164.9	.376	6.1	159.9	.014
Parent gender × Birth status	0.0	160.0	.947	0.0	163.7	.973	0.2	158.1	.633	4.3	158.4	.039	0.1	158.9	.791
RF	0.0	283.8	.846	0.1	285.0	.784	0.4	290.5	.531	20.0	290.3	>.001	17.2	284.1	>.001
RF × Parent gender	13.5	281.5	>.001	0.1	281.2	.715	1.1	270.1	.301	4.7	270.8	.031	1.3	280.9	.264
RF × Birth status	0.2	283.8	.627	0.0	285.0	.860	0.5	290.5	.464	0.0	290.3	.862	0.4	284.1	.520
RF × Parent gender × Birth status	0.1	281.5	.321	1.1	281.2	.289	0.5	270.1	.505	0.8	270.8	.377	0.7	280.9	.395

Figure 2. Prevalence of selected topics as related to RF scores of fathers and mothers of children born preterm and at term.

Note. Only RF scores from 1 and greater (but not lower) were obtained.