Purpose of review: This systematic review examines the effectiveness of breastfeeding interventions involving fathers, focusing on their impact on exclusive breastfeeding rates and paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding. The study aims to highlight the crucial role of fathers in antenatal breastfeeding promotion programs and their potential to enhance breastfeeding outcomes.
Recent findings: A systematic review was conducted following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, CINAHL, and Medline databases for randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies published after December 2017. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Six out of seven studies measuring breastfeeding rates reported a positive association between paternal involvement in breastfeeding education programs and increased exclusive breastfeeding rates. Of the eight studies assessing paternal support and attitudes, six demonstrated that including fathers in interventions improved their support and attitudes towards breastfeeding. However, two studies found no significant effect on paternal support or attitudes. The findings underscore the importance of including fathers in breastfeeding interventions to promote higher rates of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding. Paternal involvement generally leads to improved breastfeeding outcomes and fosters supportive family environments. However, some studies reveal nuances in paternal support and attitudes that warrant further investigation. This review highlights the potential of father-inclusive approaches in enhancing breastfeeding practices and suggests the need for continued research to optimize these interventions.
Keywords: Antenatal; Breastfeeding; Breastfeeding rates; Education; Father; Infant nutrition; Support.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.