Engaging Fathers in Infant and Young Child Feeding: A Mixed-Methods Study to explore feasible pathways in South India

For the first thousand days of a child's life, from conception to the second birthday, the body and brain are building their foundation. During this critical window, what a child eats determines not just their growth, but their long-term health and potential. Yet, in many parts of the world, including India, a significant number of children do not receive the diverse, nutritious diet they need to thrive. While mothers have traditionally been the primary focus of nutrition programs, a growing body of thought suggests that fathers hold a key, yet often overlooked, role. Fathers influence what food enters the home, how much money is available for it, and the emotional atmosphere in which a child eats. The question is no longer just whether fathers can help, but how to move them from the sidelines into active partnership without disrupting the family dynamic or ignoring deep-seated cultural habits.

In the urban areas of Puducherry, India, a team of researchers set out to understand exactly how fathers are currently involved in feeding their young children and what practical steps could encourage them to do more. They focused on families with children between six and twenty-three months old, a period when babies begin eating solid foods alongside breast milk. The researchers did not just ask fathers what they thought; they asked the mothers what they saw, creating a picture of the family from two different angles. They also listened closely to a smaller group of fathers in deep conversations to hear the stories behind the numbers. The goal was to find realistic, everyday actions that fathers could take to improve their child's nutrition, actions that fit into their busy lives and the social rules of their community.

The study began by talking to 216 fathers and their partners. When asked directly, a clear majority of the fathers, about 61 percent, believed they were actively involved in feeding their children. They felt they were doing their part. However, when the researchers asked the mothers the same question, the picture changed dramatically. Only about 38 percent of the mothers agreed that their husbands were actively involved. This gap suggests that fathers and mothers are using different definitions of "involvement." For many fathers, providing money for food or playing with the child feels like active care. For many mothers, active care means the hands-on work of preparing meals, sitting down to feed the child, and managing the daily routine. The researchers found that fathers who did report high levels of involvement generally knew more about nutrition and held more modern views on sharing household duties, but even among these engaged fathers, knowledge was not perfect.

To understand what fathers could actually do, the researchers asked them to identify tasks that felt possible and acceptable in their daily lives. The most common and feasible action was purchasing nutritious food. Nearly all the fathers who considered themselves active participants said they regularly bought healthy food, clothes, and supplies like diapers. This aligns with the traditional role of the father as the provider, a task they felt confident and willing to perform. Beyond shopping, many fathers were open to discussing the child's diet with their wives, acting as a role model by eating healthy foods themselves, and spending quality time with the child to support their learning. These were seen as manageable steps that did not require a complete overhaul of family life.

However, the study also uncovered significant barriers that kept fathers from doing more hands-on work, such as cooking or feeding the child directly. The most powerful obstacle was not a lack of willingness, but a lack of confidence and a fear of making mistakes. Many fathers worried they would not know how much food to give, how to recognize when the child was full, or how to handle the mess. They also faced social pressure. In their communities, feeding a baby is widely seen as a mother's job. Elders in the family, particularly grandmothers, often reinforced this idea, making fathers feel that stepping into the kitchen or the feeding chair was overstepping their bounds. One father noted that while men say they take good care of their children, they usually mean they earn money and play with them, leaving the daily feeding tasks to the mothers.

The researchers found that the path forward lies in changing how health services and families approach the father. Fathers expressed a strong desire for information, but they preferred to receive it through smartphones and digital platforms rather than in-person meetings that might clash with their work schedules. They asked for practical, step-by-step guidance on how to prepare safe, age-appropriate meals. Crucially, they emphasized that they needed to be invited directly by health workers. When clinics and community centers focus only on mothers, fathers feel like outsiders. The study suggests that if health workers speak directly to fathers, if clinics offer flexible hours, and if families are encouraged to support the father's new role, participation could grow.

The findings paint a hopeful but nuanced picture. Fathers are ready to learn and are eager to contribute, but they need the right tools and the right social permission to do so. They do not need to replace the mother's role; they need to expand their own. By focusing on feasible tasks like buying healthy food, discussing nutrition with a partner, and modeling good eating habits, fathers can make a real difference. The study concludes that future efforts to improve child nutrition must include fathers not as an afterthought, but as essential partners. When families, communities, and health systems work together to support fathers in these specific, practical ways, the result is a stronger foundation for the child's health and a more balanced family life.