The Relationship Between Parenting Self-Confidence and Attachment in Fathers of Preterm Infants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parenting confidence and attachment in fathers of preterm infants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with fathers of preterm infants between the ages of 6-12 months at the time of data collection (n=149). The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Questionnaire Form, Paternal-Infant Attachment Scale (PIAS) and Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS). Results: The average age of the fathers participating in the study was 25.75±4.64 years. It was found that the fathers who felt ready to be a father during pregnancy, who held their baby as soon as it was born, and who participated in the care of their children had statistically significantly higher mean PIAS and KPCS scores than the other group (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the mean PIAS and KPCS scores of the fathers (r=0.43, p=0.000). Conclusion: It can be said that as fathers' confidence in parenting increased, their attachment to their children also increased. Fathers should be made aware of the importance of the father-infant relationship in the healthy growth and development of children.