Father-Infant Touching During Interactions
Although the majority of “touch” studies involving infants conducted to date have
involved mothers or female adults, there is an accumulating literature involving
fathers. It is known that fathers engage in more vigorous, physically stimulating
play with their infants,103-106 and it is believed by some that their style of play
serves to create a critical means for the development of attachment.107 According
to some research, fathers’ actual touching of their infants is rare immediately after
birth, while physical closeness and gazing at the infant are more typical.108 This
observation of less-frequent touching by fathers, as compared with mothers, has
also been noted in the neonatal intensive care unit