Kevin hopes to take the film, along with teaching aids and a resource pack into schools and colleges. He already works with young boys, using an electronic crying doll to show them just how demanding a real baby can be and what they can be taking on if they have unprotected sex. The boys most likely to become teenage fathers were those who were excluded from school, he said, adding that they needed special targeting for help. But Kevin said his aim was not to put off young fathers from parenthood, merely to ensure they made informed decisions and got all the help they needed.

'Geared towards women'

And the film does not shy away from the highly contentious issue of whether men are being fairly treated by family law.

"I found there was a lack of support for fathers generally, but particularly for young fathers," Kevin said. "As an unmarried father, I technically have no rights and I thought that if I was suffering there must be others.

"The video was proposed to reflect some of the issues. Young men and young fathers are a hot topic at the moment. "But some young fathers feel completely excluded by the services which they say are mainly run by women and geared towards women. "I do not want to put young men off becoming fathers, but I want to give them the advice so they can become responsible fathers."

He added: "We also aim to help their personal development and boost their self esteem and help them develop confidence. "They are very anxious about fulfilling their roles and they were totally freaked out by it."

'Kick start'

The fathers featured in the film talk through their experiences of the NHS, the facilities and help offered to them before and after the birth and their relationships with their children.

One of the fathers, like Kevin, has lost contact with his child, but the others talk about how they are coping with fatherhood at such an early age, how it has affected their lives and development and what they felt about the services available to support them.

Kevin, who now has another child, a one-year-old son, said he had always been focused on education and achieving and that with the help of his parents had gone on to mentor and get his degree enabling him to get the health job and help others.

But he said he was very aware that for many young dads the picture is quite different. One of the stars of the film is Mark Fearon, a 19-year-old from Lambeth, London. Mark said that when his girlfriend became pregnant with their son Mikhi, it had given him the push he needed to kick start his life, but he said he felt the medical and support services were biased against him.

Shut out

"Fathers do feel shut out and alienated from parenting. Young fathers are given a bad time. But facilities should be geared more evenly to fathers who often feel neglected," he said.

"I was worrying about how I was going to support him. "I was scared I did not know what to expect or how to access any help. "But I spoke to people and got advice so that by the time he came I was not as nervous." Mark added: "I did need to earn more money. Everything is on your shoulders and it gave me a kick start. But it is not a nightmare and the end of your life."

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills, which oversees the Teenage Pregnancy Unit, said: "Research shows that involvement of teenage fathers during pregnancy is a good predictor of involvement in the early years of their children. "Becoming a parent can also be a positive turning point in young people's lives. "However, young men often feel excluded by health professionals and other support workers.

"Thus it is important for midwives and health visitors to engage with young fathers both during pregnancy and after the birth of the baby."