If you want your children to behave better, improve their performance at school and be more likely to steer clear of drugs and crime, harness dad power.

Studies show that positively involved fathers can have a huge impact on their children in all sorts of ways, and that's why the Fatherhood Institute has launched a new campaign, Bringing Fathers In, to drive home the dad power message to organisations that deal with families, including midwives, health visitors and social services.

The Institute says research has shown that positive involvement from dads in all aspects of their children's lives can contribute towards:

:: better friendships with better-adjusted children

:: fewer behaviour problems

:: lower criminality and substance abuse

:: higher educational achievement

:: greater capacity for empathy

:: higher self-esteem and life-satisfaction.

Fatherhood Institute joint chief executive Adrienne Burgess says efforts to improve children's outcomes can be boosted significantly by harnessing father-involvement:

"Fathers' impact on health, education and other aspects of wellbeing is enormous," she stresses.

"Whether a mother has a professionally-attended childbirth, a child's likelihood of being vaccinated and of making good progress in language development, can depend hugely on fathers' attitudes and behaviour.

"By working creatively with men, we can harness dad power for the good of everyone."

The Institute, in collaboration with the global fatherhood campaign Men Care, has produced a series of factsheets and other information targeted at the organisations that deal with families both in the UK and abroad. The factsheets cover issues including making the most of fathers to support their children's early learning, supporting maternal and infant health, and reducing violence in children's lives.

Burgess explains that at the moment, while most people and organisations that deal with families know that involving fathers in their children's lives is a good idea, they often don't know why.

"They might know that children whose fathers are involved do better at school, but apart from that, they don't have any other specific ideas about it.

"Often they'll say that fathers are included because it's fair to dads, which is not, we think, a very good argument.

"The main reason is that if we don't address the dads alongside the mums and make every effort to connect with them, mothers and children aren't getting a very good service."

She points out that:

:: Pregnant women eat and live more healthily when their partner supports them, so dads should be given health messages as well as mums.

:: Men who understand the risk of pregnancy complications will support their partner's use of appropriate services, so men need to understand why professionally-supported childbirth is the safest option.

:: Five-year-olds with two supportive parents score higher in language development than those with one or no supportive parents.

In addition, a dad's hormones are affected after his child is born - almost as much as the mother's hormones change, says Burgess.

While it has long been known that fathers who undertake a lot of care bond more quickly with their babies and are likely to enjoy fatherhood more, it's only recently that researchers have shown that within 15 minutes of holding a baby, men experience raised levels of hormones associated with tolerance/trust (oxytocin), sensitivity to infants (cortisol) and brooding/lactation/bonding (prolactin); and that the more experienced a man is as a caregiver, the quicker and more pronounced are the hormonal changes.

It has also been shown that levels of the male hormone testosterone drop in men who live with a pregnant female, and remain about a third lower after the birth and over the first year. Such low testosterone levels are connected with greater sensitivity to infants, and may also bolster a man's immune system, decreasing the chances of passing infections to newborns.

"Men's bodies change and are hard-wired to care for infants - not just their own," stresses Burgess.

"The thing that every mother knows is that she doesn't know what she's doing when this new baby is put in her arms. But it's a learned activity for both sexes - nobody knows how to do it at the beginning, and that's fine.

"If you're a mum or dad and you believe mothers are hard-wired to look after babies and it's not in dads' nature, everything to do with childcare will be left to mum because she's 'better at it'."

Burgess says the Fatherhood Institute and Men Care hope the Bringing Fathers In initiative will lead to the vital role of fathers becoming more talked about by members of the family services, and they will then pass the message on to families.

She adds: "Certainly the experience for more than half of new parents is that fathers are ignored - and the mothers tend to be more dissatisfied than the fathers about that.

"Fathers don't have expectations and they feel they should be ignored, without realising quite how that damages them and their family."

:: The Bringing Fathers In resources are available to download free at www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/bringingfathersin

ASK THE EXPERT

Q: "I've got a toddler - what are the main child safety issues I should be aware of over the Christmas period?"

A: Katrina Phillips, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust (Capt), says: "Christmas is an exciting and chaotic time, especially with small children around, and it's precisely this chaos that can put little ones at risk of serious accidents.

"You'll inevitably be surrounded by toys, so check the warnings and age ranges to ensure that babies and younger children aren't at risk of choking on small parts. Decorations and novelty toys also appeal to children, but beware of the ones that contain button batteries - these aren't just a choking risk; they cause a chemical reaction when swallowed and can lead to severe burns and internal bleeding.

"If you're visiting friends and family this Christmas, you'll be without your safety gates and cupboard locks. While you're not about to rearrange the contents of your host's kitchen cupboards, do take stock of the risks when you arrive, and make others aware of them too. Watch out for medicines or e-cigarettes in handbags left on the floor - both are potentially deadly for children. Even dregs of alcohol left within reach can cause serious harm.

"The run-up to Christmas is definitely the time of year to check smoke alarms with all the candles and fairy lights around. And the kitchen will be a hot and hectic place, so keep children out as best you can to avoid burns and scalds.

"Another risk of burns during the party season is from hair straighteners. They can get as hot as your iron and stay hot for up to 40 minutes. Keep them out of reach after use, ideally in a heat-proof pouch."

:: For more advice on child safety this Christmas, visit www.capt.org.uk

FESTIVE SNUGGLES & CUDDLES

Christmas Jersey Blanket

Part of Mothercare's coordinating Christmas collection, this soft cotton jersey grey marl blanket features reindeer and holly prints and a colourful star design on the reverse. An ideal size for a moses basket or crib. Suitable from birth, available from Mothercare, £7.50

Mini Club Baby Unisex Fairisle Reindeer All-in-One

Baby all-in-one in red cotton with a cute reindeer design on a fairisle print. A snuggly must for keeping away those winter chills during the festive season. Available in sizes from early baby to 18-24 months from Boots stores, £6.

Holly Christmas Rag Doll

Specially made for the festive season, Holly is wrapped up warmly for winter in rich Christmas colours, with a red velvet jacket, outdoor boots, a scarf and hat, all made with quality fabrics that little girls will love to cuddle over Christmas and beyond. Suitable from 18 months plus, available from John Lewis, £35.