Study Says Dad’s Mental Health Affects Baby’s Behavior — Do You Agree?
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New research suggests that a father’s mental health during a mother’s pregnancy may have a significant impact on the child’s risk of behavioral problems by the time he or she is 3 years old. Though previous research explained the strong link between a mother’s mental well-being and her future child’s behavior, this new study says that dads who experience stress during their partner’s pregnancy may also affect the child’s mental health.
Published days ago, on January 7th in Pediatrics, over 31,000 Norwegian children took part in a long-running family study that included both parents receiving questionnaires prior to birth and lasting until the child was 36-moths old.
From these responses, researches were able to conclude that during weeks 17 and 18 of pregnancy, 3% of surveyed fathers reported high levels of “psychological distress.” From this, researchers found a strong link between the father’s level of psychological distress and the presence of behavioral problems found in their children by age 3.
Kids whose fathers reported stronger levels of psychological distress also displayed higher levers of behavioral problems. And the associations remain true even after accounting for other external factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, mother’s mental health and parents’ age.
The findings let Dr. Anne Lise Kvalevaag, the study’s author, to say, “Father’s mental health should therefore be addressed both in research and clinical practice.” Though the study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationships, the findings may have explained the passing of a genetic risk for behavioral problems from father to child or a father’s stress may affect a pregnant mother’s mental health, which in turn would affect the fetus.
Moms and dads weigh in: Do you think it’s possible that a father’s mental health could affect baby’s behavior?
Plus, more from The Bump:
Will Taking Antidepressants Harm Your Pregnancy?
Preparing Your Health History Before Baby — Why It’s Important
How to Decide if You and Your Partner Should Get Genetic Testing
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Mom`s mental health surely affects baby and mom`s mental health depends on Dad`s. So yes Mom and Dad`s mental health affects baby’s behavior .
Seems likely that the parents’ mental health has more impact after a child is born. Also seems like there are too many factors that researchers cannot control for between pregnancy and age 3. But who knows … everyone surely does better when mom & dad are more healthy mentally
I think there are too many other variables to account for to say that dad’s mental health during pregnancy and baby’s later behavior are directly correlated. Factors that affect the dad’s mental health could also later affect the baby, such as the family’s financial circumstances, stressful home environment, ect. The baby’s behavior could be impacted by the same things that impact dad, but that doesn’t mean that the behavior is a direct result of dad’s mental state itself.