1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This study examines fathers’ representations of their relationship with their infant in the context of breastfeeding. This knowledge is essential to provide better support for fathers’ early involvement with their infant.» (p. 482)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Participants were a subsample recruited from the Fathers and Infant Feeding study, a cross-sectional study examining fathers’ representations of their involvement with their infant in different feeding contexts. […] The fathers came from three different geographic areas (urban, semiurban, and rural) of Quebec, a francophone province in Canada.» (p. 483) L’échantillon final compte 43 pères.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«The fathers in this study participated in the decision to breastfeed, the majority of them were very committed to breastfeeding, and this method of feeding had been maintained for at least 6 months. The findings suggest that fathers identified some impacts of breastfeeding on the father–infant relationship. Likewise, feeding their infant themselves appeared to be a determining moment for them in their relationship with their infant. […] The results indicate that all the fathers in this study felt it was important to establish an early bond so that they could have a special relationship with their child. Even though most of the fathers did not consider breastfeeding to be an obstacle to establishing that bond, many pointed out that the bond created between father and infant is not equivalent to that formed between mother and infant. […] The experience of feeding their infant themselves, whether by bottle or introducing solids, was identified as a key event eliciting paternal involvement. These findings are consistent with statements from fathers in couples who had chosen together to feed their infant with a commercial formula from birth (de Montigny, Lacharité, et al., 2013). [Finally, the] results highlight the relevance of supporting early father–infant bonding in the breastfeeding context, in parallel with the mother–infant bond, to create a more egalitarian relationship between the parents.» (p. 493-494)