Involved fathers matter -- but do they get enough credit?

When Bobby Burris’ daughter was born, the professional bodyguard from Cedar Hill, Texas, did what he thought fathers were supposed to do: He bumped up his work hours so he could make more money. But he soon realized he was missing the best parts of fatherhood: nurturing his little girl and watching her grow.

“I missed so much,” he says.

Burris, 33, has since made up for it, spending hours each week playing with Destiny, now 7, and helping her with homework. He also takes her to most doctors’ appointments, partly because they fit in better with his schedule than with his wife’s. But, he says, he also does it “because I want to know what’s going on with her.”

Involved dads such as Burris are making a real difference in the health and well-being of their children, a growing body of research suggests.

“We know that dads who are more involved can contribute really positively to their children’s development,” says Craig Garfield, an associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “And they do it in a unique way that can complement, but not necessarily mimic, the way moms contribute.”

Garfield is co-author of a research review published this week in Pediatrics, just in time for Father’s Day. Today’s fathers — whether they are biological, adoptive, step, foster or even involved grandfathers —  have “a role expanded far beyond that of stereotypical disciplinarian, breadwinner and masculine role model,” says the report co-written with Michael Yogman, an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Despite their contributions, many dads feel underappreciated, says Claire Lerner, senior parenting strategist at Zero to Three, non-profit organization that promotes early child development. In a recent Zero to Three survey of 2,200 parents, two-thirds of dads and moms agreed that “dads don’t get enough credit."

Dads “often feel like Parent No. 2,” Lerner says.

Adds Yogman: “There are still people who fear if a father picks up a newborn, they are going to drop them on their heads.” But in their report, he and Garfield urge pediatricians and other health professionals to include fathers from the start — not only inviting them into delivery rooms but making sure they get tips on bathing, diapering, feeding and engaging their babies.

Fathers need to hear that “they can really be successful parents right from birth,” Yogman says. “And they don’t necessarily have to interact with children the same way mothers do.”

When dads get that message, “the payoffs can be huge,” Lerner says.

Here’s what the latest research shows, according to the Pediatrics report:

• When dads play with babies, the play tends to be “more stimulating, vigorous, and arousing for the infant.” Dads also engage in more “roughhouse play” with preschoolers. That kind of play can encourage “exploration and independence.” Moms, by contrast, tend to play in a less intense way that provides “safety and balance.”

• While mothers spend more time talking to babies, fathers are more likely to introduce new words.

• More involved fathers have teen sons with fewer behavioral problems. Their daughters have fewer psychological problems and are less likely to have sex or get pregnant as teenagers.

• Children with developmental delays or chronic health problems fare better when fathers are involved in their care.

While the report focuses on fathers, the truth is that involved, loving, parents — including single women and same-sex couples of either gender — always matter, Garfield says. “The most important thing for a child is to have loving adults who are just crazy about the kid,” he says.

Other facts about fathers from the Pediatrics report:

• Men made up 10% of single parents in 2012. That’s a 60% increase over the decade before.

• By one count, men made up 16% of stay-at-home parents in 2012 (though not all stayed home by choice: Many had lost jobs or were disabled).

• Fathers spent seven hours a week on child care in 2011, up from 2½  hours in 1965.

• About 10% of the nation’s 352,000 gay male couples were raising children in 2010. That number did not include gay single fathers or those who shared custody after a divorce from a woman.

• Though 1 in 6 fathers do not live with their children, just 1% to 2% have no involvement in their children’s lives.