title: Educating fathers to improve breastfeeding rates and paternal-infant attachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of breastfeeding education provided to fathers on breastfeeding rates and paternal-infant attachment.
  
  
  METHODS
  117 couples with their infants with the inclusion criteria: knowledge of reading, writing and speaking Turkish; living in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus until their infants were six months old; and infants having no health problems preventing the early initiation of breastfeeding. Participants were divided into 3 groups (2 experimental and 1 control). Breastfeeding education was provided to the mothers (20 min/d) in the first group (n=38) and to the mothers and fathers in the second group (n=39) (20 min/d/parent) until they were discharged from the hospital. This education was supplemented by a training booklet. The parents and their infants were followed until the infants were six months old. Exclusive breastfeeding rates and Paternal-Infant Attachment Scale scores at six months were main outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exclusive breastfeeding rates (56.4%, 33.3% and 12.8%; P<0.001) and mean (SD) Paternal-Infant Attachment Scale scores [89.51(7.05), 82.37 (12.80) and 73.38 (18.67); P<0.001] were highest in the group where education was provided to both mother and father.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing breastfeeding education to fathers increases exclusive breastfeeding rates and strengthens paternal attachment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences of Near East University, Nicosia, Turkish Republic of North Cyprus; and *Faculty of Health Sciences of Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. Correspondence to: Dr Ayda Çelebioglu, Ataturk University Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzurum, Turkey. ayda@atauni.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozlüses
authors.forename: Ayda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celebioglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology