Men's perception of paternal parenthood and the promotion of child development.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: to comprehend men's perception of paternal parenthood while caring for infants to promote child development. METHODS: this qualitative study adopts an exploratory approach and was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff who are fathers of infants up to 6 months old from a higher education institution, excluding fathers from mononuclear families. Data collection occurred through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using thematic categorical analysis. RESULTS: fifteen men participated in the study. From the analysis, two empirical categories emerged "Perception of being a father challenges and novelties" and "Promotion of child development actions carried out by fathers". Fathers revealed feeling unprepared, the need for emotional support, and recognized activities aimed at their children's development. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS the relevance of the paternal figure for child development is highlighted, as well as the need for public policies to encourage paternal parenthood.