How Dad's Postpartum Mental Health Can Impact Baby's Long-Term Success

A little attention and care for dad’s mental health can go a long way when it comes to setting baby up for success.

New research from Northwestern University, published in JAMA Pediatrics, reviewed 84 studies and 777 articles to better understand how a father’s mental health affects child development. The findings? Paternal depression, anxiety, and stress—especially within the first two years after birth—are linked to delays in children’s social, emotional, cognitive and language development. What’s more, these impacts can persist beyond the baby years and continue into toddlerhood and the preschool years, manifesting as emotional dysregulation, learning challenges and social difficulties.

Postpartum care has been (rightfully) centered on mothers for sometime now. But lead study author Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP, who is also a father, says in doing so dads’ mental health has often been overlooked. In the US, around 14 percent of fathers experience postpartum depression, a rate similar to that of mothers. Still, because men often downplay or hide symptoms of emotional distress, the actual number may be even higher.

“As clinicians, we need to rethink how we approach new fathers,” Garfield said in a press release. “We need to engage them throughout pregnancy and the perinatal period and normalize feelings of sadness or fear or anxiety that are common during this lifechanging event. Clinicians should discuss with fathers warning signs for depression to help them recognize when either parent might need help.”

To help better understand what Dads need, Garfield has launched a first-of-its-kind public health survey tool for fathers called PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) for Dads. Modeled after an existing survey for mothers, it aims to uncover what’s contributing to paternal mental health struggles and, in turn, help doctors and communities better support both parents and their children.

Beyond improved developmental outcomes for baby, previous research also highlights the ripple effect of engaged, mentally healthy dads. A healthy fathers’ involvement has been linked to improved education outcomes, longer breastfeeding duration and lower levels of maternal depression. Something that truly benefits not only Dad, but mom and baby too.

That’s what we call a win-win-win.