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The following is a summary of “Fathers’ Involvement in a Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Prospective Cohort Study,” published in the February 2025 issue of Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health by Kaur et al. 

Previous studies on fathers’ involvement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care focused on qualitative methods, which are time- and resource-intensive. 

Researchers conducted a prospective study to assess fathers’ involvement in a surgical NICU using a novel tool, identifying key facilitators and barriers to their participation. 

They conducted a single-center prospective cohort study at a surgical NICU using the Fathers’ Involvement Questionnaire: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (FIQ:NICU) with four sections. They collected data via REDCap and reported involvement scores for individual items, subscales (Physical Contact, Verbal Interaction, During Procedures, Cares/Feeding, Participation in Rounds), and total score (0–92). They analyzed associations between subscales, total FIQ scores, and confidence levels using bivariate correlation (Pearson’s r). 

The results showed that 32 fathers participated, with total FIQ: NICU scores ranging from 20 to 74 (M = 55.1, 95% CI 49.9–60.2, SD = 14.24). Involvement was highest in ‘During Procedures’ (M = 2.88, SD = 1.00) and lowest in ‘Cares/Feeding’ (M = 1.67, SD = 0.83). All fathers (100%) reported partner support as a facilitator, followed by nurses (71.9%). The most reported barriers were lines and tubes (46.9%), followed by work commitments (34.4%). 

Investigators found that support from healthcare professionals, psychologists, and peers increased fathers’ involvement in their neonate’s care in SNICU. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.70017