"As pediatricians, we focus on how to ensure the best health outcomes for children, with successful breastfeeding and safe sleep practices being two key behaviors that impact children's health," said Garfield, who also is the founder of the Family & Child Health Innovations Program (FCHIP) at Lurie Children's. The survey gathers data on the health behaviors and experiences of men as they enter fatherhood. PRAMS for Dads is, for the first time, providing data on the unique needs of new fathers. The tool was modeled after PRAMS, an annual surveillance tool the CDC and public health departments have used for more than 35 years to survey new mothers. Craig Garfield, professor of pediatrics and medical social sciences at Feinberg and a Lurie Children's pediatrician, partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Georgia Department of Public Health to develop and pilot the new survey tool used in this study called Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Dads. Recognizing that new dads play an important role in the health and wellbeing of children and families, senior author Dr. New survey highlights unique needs of new fathers These interventions must involve both parents to be most effective." "To reduce racial disparities in sudden unexpected infant death, we need tailored strategies to increase safe infant sleep practices in the Black community, including public campaigns to increase awareness and home visiting programs. "Fathers need to receive counseling on all the safe sleep practices for their infants," Parker said. Nationally, the rate of sudden unexpected infant death (SIDS) of Black infants is more than twice that of white infants, and unsafe sleep practices may contribute to this disparity, the study authors said. More than 3,000 infants die of sleep-related deaths per year in the U.S. Racial disparities in rates of SIDS in the U.S.īlack fathers were less likely to use the back sleep position and more likely to use soft bedding than white fathers. Fathers need to be directly engaged in breastfeeding discussions, and providers need to describe the important role fathers play in breastfeeding success." "Many families do not gain the health benefits from breastfeeding because they are not provided the support to breastfeed successfully. John James Parker, an instructor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, pediatrician at Lurie Children's and an internist at Northwestern Medicine. "Our findings underscore that new fathers are a critical audience to promote breastfeeding and safe infant sleep," said lead study author Dr. Almost a third of fathers surveyed were missing at least one key component of safe sleep education. The scientists also found that 99% of fathers reported placing their infant to sleep, but only 16% implemented all three American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended infant sleep practices (using the back sleep position, an approved sleep surface, and avoiding soft bedding). This is significantly higher than the rates reported by fathers who had no opinion or did not want their infant's mother to breastfeed - 69% of these fathers reported breastfeeding initiation and 33% reported breastfeeding at eight weeks. They will be published June 16 in the journal Pediatrics.Īmong fathers who wanted their infant's mother to breastfeed, 95% reported breastfeeding initiation and 78% reported breastfeeding at eight weeks. The survey findings are among the first to describe father-reported attitudes toward and experiences with breastfeeding and infant sleep practices in a state-representative sample. The study included 250 fathers who were surveyed two to six months after the birth of their infant.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |