Seeing the Unseen: A Review on Experiences of Preterm Infants’ Fathers

Perinatal processes require change and adaptation for each member of the family. However, studies generally have focused on mothers’ well-being. Nevertheless, each individual in the family affects both the experience and is affected by the experience, so each individual affects the well-being of the other. For this reason, the father should not be left out of the perinatal processes but should be considered as an individual who experiences and coordinates this process. Especially, in families with a baby at increased risk such as prematurity, the involvement of fathers has a significant role in providing support to both mothers’ and babies’ well-being. However, becoming a father of a premature infant is mostly related to a wide range of psychological health outcomes such as stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. In addition, fathers of premature babies are prone to experience emotional difficulties and concerns about the baby’s and the mother’s health problems, potentially leading to parental role conflicts. Therefore, this review aims to explain the common experiences of fathers after preterm delivery, particularly paternal mental health and related factors, and to explain the roles of supportive health professionals in the process.