Paternal involvement and support and risk of preterm birth: findings from the Boston birth cohort

Abstract

Objective: To investigate to what extent paternal involvement and support during pregnancy were associated with preterm (PTB) and small-for-gestational age (SGA) births.

Methods: Using data from the Boston Birth Cohort (n = 7047), multiple logistic regression models were performed to estimate the log odds of either PTB or SGA birth, with paternal involvement, paternal social support, and family and friend social support variables as the primary independent variables.

Results: About 10% of participating mothers reported their husbands not being involved or supportive during their pregnancies. Lack of paternal involvement was associated with 21% higher risk of PTB (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01–1.45). Similarly, lack of paternal support was borderline associated with PTB (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.94–1.35). Also marginally significant, lack of paternal involvement (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.95–1.47) and father’s support (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.96–1.48) were associated with higher odds of SGA birth. No associations were found between familial and friend support during pregnancy and PTB or SGA.

Conclusions: Among predominantly low-income African Americans, lack of paternal involvement and lack of paternal support during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of PTB, and suggestive of SGA birth. These findings, if confirmed in future research, underscore the important role a father can play in reducing PTB and/or SGA.

Keywords:

• Preterm birth
• small-for-gestational age
• paternal involvement
• social support
• birth outcomes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Development [R21HD085556] from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Boston Birth Cohort (the parent study) was supported in part by March of Dimes PERI grants [20-FY02-56, #21-FY07-605]; grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [R40MC27443 and UJ2MC31074]; and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants [R21ES011666, R01HD041702, R21HD066471, U01AI090727, R21AI079872, and R01HD086013]. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by any funding agencies.

Current knowledge on the subject

• Prenatal stress is linked to adverse birth outcomes.

• Social support can act as a buffer against stress.

• Women with lower social anchorage may be at higher risk of having a small-for-gestational age birth.

What this study adds

• Lack of paternal involvement during pregnancy is associated with higher odds of preterm birth among women.

• Being unmarried, despite the level of paternal or friend or family involvement or social support during pregnancy, is associated with a higher risk of preterm birth.

• We observed no association between support from family and friends during pregnancy and preterm or small-for-gestational age birth.