Fatherlessness Begins Prenatally: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Clinicians should encourage and promote paternal involvement even in prenatal care, as this early engagement has far-reaching, positive implications on a child's life.

SUMMARY: Men are not superfluous to the abortion process. In fact, a father's roles and responsibilities start before the act leading to conception and continue through the pregnancy, birth, and through their children's lives. This paper seeks to review evidence that these roles play an important part in a child's overall development. Additionally, this paper seeks to suggest direct approaches physicians may take to encourage constructive engagement and responsibility in fathers.