Experiences of fathering a baby admitted to neonatal intensive care: a critical gender analysis.

More fathers than ever before attend at the birth of their child and, internationally, there is a palpable pressure on maternity and neonatal services to include and engage with fathers. It is, thus, more important than ever to understand how fathers experience reproductive and neonatal health services and to understand how fathers can be successfully accommodated in these environments alongside their partners. In this paper we advance a theoretical framework for re-thinking fatherhood and health services approaches to fatherhood based on Critical Studies on Men (CSM).

Experiences of fathers of babies in intensive care.

Around 2,000 sick or premature infants are admitted each year to intensive care units in Northern Ireland--8.1 per cent of the live birth population. Studies show that having a premature or 'high-risk' infant is stressful for both parents, yet most research focuses on the mothers' experiences.