Social Support Provision: Perspective of Fathers With Preterm Infants

Purpose: Today's social support systems for parents of preterm infants tend to pay more attention to mothers than fathers. As a father also plays a critical role in caring for a preterm infant, there is a need to advance understanding of paternal concerns and needs about social supports that should better support fathers. Design and Methods: Interviews were conducted with 18 parents of preterm infants (i.e., 10 mothers and 8 fathers) who have been discharged from the NICU to home. All interviews were audio-recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim for analysis. Results: The fathers’ primary resources are healthcare professionals, their partners, and peer fathers of preterm infants. The fathers expressed various social support needs associated with informational, belonging, and emotional supports. Conclusions: It is recommended that a social support system be customized accordingly to better accommodate paternal needs. Practice Implications: Healthcare professionals may refer to the study results in designing the educational materials for fathers of preterm infants.