SynthesisActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)2021
Systematic review shows the benefits of involving the fathers of preterm infants in early interventions in neonatal intensive care units.
Synthesis in Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Implementation characteristics of father-inclusive interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2023Pooled it
- What influences the implementation of kangaroo mother care? An umbrella review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Pooled it
- Systematic review shows the benefits of involving the fathers of preterm infants in early interventions in neonatal intensive care units.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2021Pooled it
- "Effect of a support program on fathers' stress and anxiety during initial NICU encounter with premature infants: a randomized clinical trial".Reproductive health · 2025Trial
- Barriers and drivers to implementing family integrated newborn care for preterm and low birthweight infants in neonatal care units in Ethiopia: a qualitative study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Pretesting Parenting Instruments with Indigenous Fathers and Two-Spirit Parents: A Qualitative Study.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieres · 2026Article
- Impacts of the Early Collaborative Intervention on mother-preterm infant interaction at one month of age: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Article
- Parents of Premature Infants Value Early Skin-to-Skin Care: A 10-Year Survey in France.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Article
- Current Evidence and Considerations for Psychological Support Interventions for Fathers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- The NICU doula: family-centered support in the neonatal intensive care unit.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- A Video-Based Intervention Supporting Spanish-Speaking Fathers of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Open-Label Pilot Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Exploratory study of fathers providing Kangaroo Care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.Journal of clinical nursing · 2025Article
- Article
- Understanding and addressing mental health challenges of families admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2025Review
- Article
- Review
- Parental emotional, social and transitional health in the first 6 months after childhood critical illness: A longitudinal qualitative study.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Differences in parental stress in mothers and fathers of preterm infants: A prospective study in Poland.European journal of midwifery · 2025Article
- Psychological distress in the neonatal intensive care unit: a meta-review.Pediatric research · 2024Review
- Parental participation in newborn care in the view of health care providers in Uganda: a qualitative study.Reproductive health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimThis review identifies interventions involving the fathers of preterm infants that have been tested in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). It examines their effects on the fathers and infants and highlights any differences between fathers and mothers who took part in the same interventions.
methodsA systematic search was performed in English from 1995 to 1 September 2020, using the CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PubMed and PsycINFO databases. We examined 14 peer-reviewed studies that investigated NICU interventions involving 478 fathers, whose 511 infants were born before 37 weeks of gestation. These included empirical studies with clinical outcomes.
resultsStudies on fathers' interventions in NICUs were limited and mainly restricted to basic skin-to-skin contact or tactile interventions. The interventions had similar general positive effects on mothers and fathers when it came to infant physiological and behavioural reactions. There was also evidence of a positive effect on the fathers, including their mental health.
conclusionIncluding fathers as active partners in the care of their preterm newborn infants produced good outcomes for both of them. Further research is needed to develop new, multimodal and interactive interventions that provide fathers with positive contact with their preterm infants.
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