USA Today (1/4, Healy) reports, “Mental health problems of expectant fathers have found to be associated with emotional and behavioral problems in their kids as toddlers,” according to a study published online in the journal Pediatrics.
MedPage Today (1/7, Petrochko) reports that the study of 31,663 children “found paternal psychological distress was associated with a small but positive risk of a child developing behavioral difficulties (P=0.02), emotional difficulties (P<0.001), and impaired social functioning at age 36 months (P=0.007)," researchers reported. "Higher levels of emotional distress in expectant fathers were associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems in children," the study found. Among the organizations supporting the study were the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Related Links:
— “Expectant dads’ mental health linked to kids’ behavior, “Michelle Healy, USA Today, January 7, 2013.