Researchers from the University of Oxford studied 194 families to determine whether a father’s early interaction with his child had an effect on their behaviour later on in life.
They observed the way fathers interacted with their children at home when they were three months old and compared this against the child’s behaviour at 12 months.
The findings showed that children whose fathers were more engaged in the interactions had better outcomes and less behavioural problems. However, children whose fathers were more distant, lost in their own thoughts or interacted less with them were more likely to have behavioural problems at 12 months old.
Boys were more affected by their father’s lack of interaction than girls.
The authors suggest that fathers who are in a more troubled relationship with their partner may find it more challenging to engage with their children.
Dr Paul Ramchandi, who led the study, said, ‘Focusing on a child’s first few months is important as this is a crucial period for development and a child is very susceptible to environmental influences, such as the quality of parental care and interaction.
‘Our research adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that intervening early to help parents can make a positive impact on how their child develops.’
- The study,‘ Do early father-infant interactions predict the onset of externalising behaviours in young children?’ Findings from a longitudinal cohort study’, which was funded by the Wellcome Trust, is published in the August 2012 Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.