In a study that included hundreds of families, babies that most resembled their father were found to be significantly healthier when they reached the 1-year mark.
In some studies, children living in single-mother families have been found to have poorer levels of health. The effect was measured even when socioeconomic factors were taken into account.
It is important to understand what factors could be impacting children in single-mother homes, and what could be done to improve the health of these children.
To date, there has been little research into the impact of a nonresident father’s engagement with the child. The few studies that have been carried out have reached contradictory conclusions.
For instance, one study found that higher levels of fatherly input increased the risk of adolescent obesity, while another (carried out by the same researchers) found more healthful eating habitswith increased input from the father.
