{
  "abstract": "Introduction Fathers of preterm infants wish to be actively involved and attentive in caring for their children. The positive impacts of paternal caregiving on preterm infants’ cognitive and social development have been recognised. Awareness of the need to support fathers during early parenthood is increasing, but fathers may feel excluded when their infants are in the neonatal intensive care unit. Here, we present the protocol for a study involving the development and national implementation of a complex intervention supporting first-time fathers of preterm infants in early parenthood.Methods and analysis The study adheres to the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. A multicentre, prospective, non-blinded, quasi-experimental design will be applied to evaluate the effect of a clinical and technology-based intervention targeting both nurses and the fathers. Outcomes from participants enrolled during the control (2023–2024) and intervention (2025–2026) periods, comprising 295 fathers and their partners, will be compared. Effects on parental confidence, stress, depression and mood and family and reflective functioning as well as infants’ emotional and social development will be assessed. A comprehensive process evaluation will be applied using both qualitative and quantitative methods.Ethics and dissemination The study has been registered at Clinicaltrials.org [no. NCT0 6 116 747 (The SUPPORTED study – First-time Fathers of Preterm Infants), approved on 3 November 2023]. The Danish Data Protection Agency has approved the study (P-2022–792). The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration number NCT06116747.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark",
        "Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Kristina Garne Holm"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Region Zealand, Primary Care and eHome Hospital, Næstved, Denmark, Denmark",
        "Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Region Syddanmark, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Mai-Britt Hägi-Pedersen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pediatrics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg SV, Denmark",
        "Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, North Denmark Region, Denmark",
        "Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, North Denmark Region, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Helle Haslund-Thomsen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Danish Committee for Health Education, Copenhagen, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Ingrid Nilsson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, Norway"
      ],
      "name": "Hanne Aagaard"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Neonatology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark",
        "Knowledge Centre for Breastfeeding Infants with Special Needs, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Ragnhild Maastrup"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark",
        "Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Camilla Ejlertsen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark",
        "Department of Neonatology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospital, Copenhagen, Denmark",
        "Department of Health and Society, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Region Zealand, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Mette Petersen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark",
        "Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Region Syddanmark, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Maria Monberg Feenstra"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Nursing and Health, Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Ingeborg Kristensen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Health and Society, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Region Zealand, Denmark",
        "Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine & Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Kobenhavn, Denmark",
        "Department of Nursing and Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, Denmark"
      ],
      "name": "Anne Brødsgaard"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Protocol for the SUPPORTED study: a Danish multicentre complex intervention for first-time fathers of preterm infants",
  "uid": "1270620f-3db3-5123-90d5-cbad4e63b16b"
}