Would Your Kids Kiss a Pig?

My last few posts have revolved around the effects that fathers have on their children.  More specifically, the discussion has revolved around what happens when fathers are absent from the child's life, either partially or fully.  So far, we have talked about how the absence of a father contributes to poverty, substance use and abuse, psychological and behavioral problems, poorer educational performance, and increased participation in criminal activities.  There are two more major categories to touch on today, then we will move on to the positive effects of father presence and involvement.  I focus on fathers, rather than mothers, because fathers are much more likely to be the absent parent.  Absent mothers have overlapping, but not identical, ill effects on their children.  Maximizing the involvement of the absent parent, when reasonably possible, helps mitigate the negative impact of the absence.

The topics today relate to sexual consequences and medical consequences when fathers are absent.  Children with an absent parent have been shown to be more likely to be perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse.  Data gathered on more than 1600 juvenile sex offenders in 30 states show that loss of a parental figure is a common characteristic of the offenders.  Teens from two-parent households have been found to be less likely to be sexually active.  Studies have shown that about 70% of teen pregnancies are to children of single parents.  As of 2004, approximately 40% of teen pregnancies ended in abortion.

Girls from father-absent homes tend to begin puberty earlier, have sex earlier, and have their first children earlier than girls from father-present homes.  According to a study conducted in the U.S. and New Zealand, the risk of increased sexual activity is greater the earlier in a girl's life that the father becomes absent.  Higher socioeconomic status does not protect the girl from these effects.

My dad is the best dad ever. 
I would kiss a pig for him.
-1st grader 
Entry from the National Center for Fathering’s Father of the Year Essay Contest

Fathers of children of teen mothers are more likely to be educationally unsuccessful and to have limited earning potential.  They have increased rates of substance use/abuse and have increased trouble with the law.  They do not tend to maintain long-term relationships with their children, perpetuating the cycle of absent fatherhood, though they are often very involved in the first few months of life.  These teen (usually) fathers do not provide much material support and tend to have increased numbers of sexual partners.

My own experience as a pediatrician has been consistent with these findings.  I have often found that the new teen father stays with the mom in the hospital (often insisting on sleeping in the hospital bed, which is intended to hold 1 adult, with the mom).  He tends to come to all the office visits for the first few months, then seems to disappear.  There are exceptions, of course, but this is certainly the norm.

There are also numerous medical consequences to children from father-absent homes.  Unmarried mothers are less likely to obtain prenatal care and are more likely to have a low birthweight baby.  Infant mortality rates are higher for unmarried mothers and teen mothers (roughly 50% higher for teens).  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has also been shown to be more common in children of unmarried and teen mothers.  Asthma and obesity are both more likely in children of single mothers, and blood sugars are more poorly controlled in diabetic children of single mothers.

So, that pretty much wraps up the bad stuff.  Thanks for hanging with me through all of those depressing facts.  The upcoming posts will summarize the positive things that occur when a father is present and some practical ways that fathers can stay involved.  I don't know about you, but I am ready for some good news.

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.
- George Herbert (1651)