A New Dad's Postpartum Depression Can Be Tough on His Kids

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 20, 2023
• Full Page

It's well known that mothers can suffer postpartum depression, a condition that affects not only their well-being but also their child's development.

Now, new research finds that fathers can also experience depression after the births of their babies and this doubles the...

New Dads Might Also Need Screening for Postpartum Depression

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 6, 2023
• Full Page

Postpartum depression is commonly thought of as something new moms experience, but fathers can also suffer from these feelings when entering this phase of life.

A pilot study from the University of Illinois Chicago suggests new dads should also be screened for the condit...

Playtime With Dad Brings Kids Better Grades at School

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 25, 2023
• Full Page

Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun.

A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them thro...

Boys Who Smoke Could Be Harming Their Future Children's Health

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 5, 2023
• Full Page

Smoking may not only harm the smoker and those who breathe in the secondhand fumes, but also their future children.

New research suggests that boys who ...

First-Time Dads Often Experience Dip in Relationship Satisfaction

• Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
• August 31, 2023
• Full Page

Most fathers experience a decline in relationship satisfaction that can last for years after the baby is born, new research shows.

“A good couple relationship during the transition to parenthood is important for parents' mental health, involvement in parenting and bond...

Dad's Mental Illness Raises Risk of Premature Birth

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 21, 2023
• Full Page

It's not only a mother's mental health that is tied to the risk for preterm birth — the father's matters, too.

New research found that the risk of premature birth was higher for infants whose mothers or fathers had a psychiatric diagnosis than for those whose parents d...

Dads Can Play Big Role in Baby's Nutrition, Safe Sleep

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• June 16, 2023
• Full Page

Jeremy Davis made sure his wife, Chloe, got lots of support when she was breastfeeding each of their three sons.

“When she'd been up nursing all night, I'd take over with the baby in the mornings so she could get extra sleep,” the Wilton, Conn., man recalled. Davis a...

Babies Might Trigger Brain Changes in New Dads

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 4, 2022
• Full Page

When men become parents, a lot changes in their lives -- less sleep and more time devoted to taking care of their children come to mind -- but new research now suggests that distinct changes also unfold in a new father's brain.

Researchers scanned the brains of new fathe...

Snuggling With Dad: Fathers' Contact Can Help Preemies Thrive

• Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling HealthDay Reporter
• July 14, 2022
• Full Page

Decades of research have shown the power of skin-to-skin contact between preemies and their moms, but would the same technique, dubbed "kangaroo care," work with fathers?

Yes, claims a new...

Age Can Impair a Man's Odds for Fatherhood: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 23, 2021
• Full Page

It's no surprise to hear that women's fertility wanes as their biological clock ticks away.

But do men have a biological clock, too?

New research shows it's not exactly the same, but their likelihood of fathering a child does appear to decline, even with assisted r...

On Father's Day, Give Dad Tips to Keep Healthy

• Cara Murez
• June 18, 2021
• Full Page

Men tend to put their health care last, but Penn State Health offers some tips this Father's Day for ensuring guys stay healthy in the future.

"Men tend to take care of their cars more frequently than they do themselves. But when men wait to see the doctor once their 'ch...

Dads of 'Preemie' Babies Can Be Hit by Depression

• Robert Preidt
• June 18, 2021
• Full Page

Postpartum depression strikes fathers of premature babies more often than previously thought, and it can linger longer in fathers than in mothers, a new study finds.

The researchers screened for depression in 431 parents of premature infants in a neonatal intensive care...

Sperm Samples May Help Predict Autism Risk in Offspring

• Robert Preidt
• January 14, 2021
• Full Page

Biomarkers in sperm may help identify men at risk of fathering children with autism, researchers say.

For the study, investigators examined sperm epigenetics -- the molecular processes that affect gene expression -- in 13 men who fathered sons with autism and 13 who had ...

Dads' Health Linked to Odds of Pregnancy Loss in Moms-to-Be

• Amy Norton
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

A large new study suggests that men who plan to be fathers should try to get themselves in shape first.

Researchers found that when fathers-to-be had health conditions like high blood pressure or obesity, the odds that their partner might experience miscarriage or stillb...

Involved Dads Make a Difference for Disadvantaged Teens

• Robert Preidt
• December 21, 2020
• Full Page

Dads matter: New research shows how attentive, involved fathers can really boost the mental well-being and behavior of teens from low-income families.

The study looked at 5,000 U.S. children born between 1998 and 2000, and their fathers' involvement with them between ag...

Spanking on the Decline in American Homes

• Serena Gordon
• July 27, 2020
• Full Page

American kids have something to celebrate: Spanking has hit a new low.

About one in three parents said they spanked their kids in 2017 compared to 50% in 1993, new research shows.

"Fewer parents are spanking, and I think it's helpful for people to kno...

Best Gift From Dad for Kids: More Time Together

• Steven Reinberg
• June 14, 2019
• Full Page

Father's Day is a once-a-year celebration of the bond between Dad and his kids, but cementing that bond takes a year-round commitment.

A new study suggests the type of involvement (caregiving vs. play) and the timing (workday vs. weekend) make a difference.

Un...

'Daddy-Do-Overs': Men Increasingly Getting Plastic Surgery

• Steven Reinberg
• June 14, 2019
• Full Page

A face-lift for Father's Day, anyone?

It could happen: A new report finds many more men are taking advantage of the same plastic surgeries that have long been associated with women.

The midlife decision by men to try a face-lift or other procedure has been ...

'Dad Shaming' Is Real, Survey Shows

• E.J. Mundell
• June 12, 2019
• Full Page

It's not just Moms: Just ahead of Father's Day, a new survey finds that about half of American dads say they've been criticized about their parenting styles.

The way they enforced discipline topped the list of things naysayers called them to task on, with two-thirds...

Older Dads' Sperm Isn't What It Used to Be

• Robert Preidt
• May 21, 2019
• Full Page

Just because a guy can make babies later in life doesn't mean it's risk-free.

The partners and children of men who become fathers at an older age are at increased risk for health problems, a new study finds.

"While it is widely accepted that physiological c...

Smoking Around Expectant Moms Can Harm Babies' Hearts

• Robert Preidt
• March 25, 2019
• Full Page

Fathers-to-be who expose their pregnant partners to secondhand smoke put their babies at risk of heart defects, researchers warn.

For the new study, investigators in China reviewed 125 studies that included a total of nearly 9 million prospective parents and more tha...