The Missing Link in MCH: Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes

Abstract

Historically, pregnancy and childbirth have primarily been considered a mother's responsibility, whereas the role of the father has mainly been that of the provider and breadwinner. Although a large body of research exists on a father's involvement in child health and development, little is known regarding the role of the expectant father in pregnancy outcomes (Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes, 2010). Ethnographic studies have identified the male partner as a vital source of stress or support among pregnant women (Mullings et al., 2001). Hoffman and Hatch (1996) reported that partner support can modify maternal psychosocial stress, whereas others have revealed partner support to be associated with positive maternal health behaviors during pregnancy, including early prenatal care and decreased smoking and drug use (Teitler, 2001).Despite the fact that men are important to maternal and child health (MCH; Lu et al., 2010), men have not played a significant role in family planning, pregnancy, and childbirth nor have they had a place in reproductive health initiatives. Overall, little attention has been given to the health of men. Not only are men less likely than women to receive preventative health services, and have a regular doctor or source of care, but men are also less likely to have health insurance (Armstrong et al., 2010). This lack of attention to the health care needs of men and expectant fathers is further perpetuated during the preconception, prenatal, and perinatal periods as practitioners and health care providers are focused on providing maternal care, often missing opportunities to engage men and expectant fathers.In recent years, the fatherhood movement has received increasing public and academic interest. In 2009, President Obama started a National Conversation on Responsible Fatherhood and Strong Communities and created the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is helping in coordinating the Federal Government's fatherhood policy and has launched a national Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative to encourage responsible fatherhood and strengthen our nation's families. Many other national efforts regarding responsible fatherhood do not address the health of men and exclude the role of men in family planning, pregnancy, and childbirth. Much still needs to be done to raise public awareness for paternal involvement in pregnancy and family health.In 2009, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute, convened the Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes (CPIPO) with a grant from the Office of Minority Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. CPIPO is a transdisciplinary working group of scholars from the social sciences and public health community with a goal of reframing debates and informing research, policies, and clinical practice to focus more on the involvement of the expectant father in pregnancy outcomes. During a Congressional Hill Briefing ...

A population-based study of overweight and obesity in expectant parents: socio-demographic patterns and within-couple associations

“…Even though current evidence suggests that both parents are important for offspring health [1,30], the influence of expectant fathers, and correlations of health variables within expectant couples, have so far received little attention [35,36]. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and socio-demographic patterns of overweight and obesity among a population-based sample of expectant parents in Västerbotten, Sweden, and also to assess within-couple associations.…”

Involving fathers in prevention of mother to child transmission initiatives – what the evidence suggests

“…As far back as 1999 [18], cost-effectiveness analysis showed considerable benefits for male partner testing, which would identify HIV positive fathers and thereby intervene to prevent new transmission to pregnant women and obviate infants acquiring HIV, which could be heightened if the mother had newly acquired HIV [19]. Male involvement in pregnancy and childbirth is seen as an important factor in various domains [20]. Most of the literature explores the effect on maternal or infant outcomes, yet there may also be benefits for the men themselves.…”

Including Men in Prenatal Health: The Potential of e-Health to Improve Birth Outcomes

“…20,21 Other barriers to being involved in prenatal health include having to work (no time) and expenses. 16,21 Given these barriers, the potential of e-health to reach men and motivate them to be more involved in prenatal health is promising. E-health has the ability to educate difficult-to-reach audiences, such as men, and to target and tailor information in ways that could resonate better than existing programs designed for women.…”

“…11,12 In the context of prenatal/perinatal health, campaigns have been beneficial in promoting healthcare visits, 8 increasing birth preparedness and recognizing emergencies, 9,13 taking measures to prevent maternal-child human immunodeficiency virus transmission, 14 and, perhaps most notably, reducing sudden infant death syndrome with the help of the ''Back to Sleep'' campaign. 15 Although mass media campaigns have complemented public health initiatives and medical advancements, research indicates these interventions have been almost entirely targeted toward women, [16][17][18][19] leaving men outside of a defined role in prenatal care and pregnancy outcomes. Despite research that including men in these initiatives can improve outcomes, pregnancy is dominated by women and is often a domain where men feel ''invisible'' or ''unwelcome.''…”