Stopping Maternity Services From 'shutting Out' The Father

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Men's health
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 14 Apr 2008 - 13:00 PDT

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Today a 12-point action plan was published aimed at stopping maternity services throughout the United Kingdom from disadvantaging children from birth by shutting out their dads. According to The Fatherhood Institute, the report The Dad Deficit: The Missing Piece of the Maternity Jigsaw presents "a mass of evidence" which demonstrates that a father's active and positive involvement, starting before the birth of a child offers profound extra benefits.

The Fatherhood Institute says the report is based on research involving maternity professionals, as well as mothers and fathers during the whole period before, before, during and after a birth.

Most fathers are interested and keen to fulfill their parental responsibilities, but they generally do not get any encouragement or support, says the Fatherhood Institute - this is especially the case if they are young or otherwise disadvantaged. And those who show no interest in fatherhood/parenthood are simply allowed to drift away from their obligations without challenge.

The Dad Deficit Asks That -

-- Both parents be allowed to spend the night in a postnatal ward.

-- Both parents sign the birth certificate. As is done in Australia where an enquiry is often triggered if the father's signature is not there.

-- Midwives be trained on engaging with fathers.

-- Have maternity services encourage Dads to be there for the doctor's ward round and when support is given on the skills required to care for a baby.

-- That there be clear NHS guidelines on the father's role during the birth.

-- A Co-ordinated Government programme to give specific antenatal support to young mothers and vulnerable fathers.

Duncan Fisher, CEO, The Fatherhood Institute said "Research clearly shows that the positive involvement of fathers right from the start is crucial; and that when professionals engage with fathers, particularly young or otherwise vulnerable dads, this makes a huge difference to mother and baby. What actually happens now is that while the mother's responsibilities are reinforced at every opportunity, the first message many fathers get after the birth is: 'leave this place now!' The father needs to be held as responsible as the mother for their child's wellbeing, which means staff taking every opportunity to inform, help or challenge him (as they do with mothers) rather than brushing him aside. As one dad said: 'Being a father, you don't get anything at the hospital. They don't say "well, if you smoke have a read of this". There's nothing in that respect'.

"Currently, we don't ask questions if a father fails to show for the ante natal appointment or doesn't sign the birth certificate. If things are going to change, we have got to start sending both mums and dads some very different signals."

According to The Dad Deficit, if the father is educated (as well as the mother) on how to be a healthy pregnant mother-to-be, the likelihood of that really being achieved is much higher. The report also found that maternity services aimed at fathers are discretionary and are not systematically engaging with them. It also found that 70% of couples would like the Dad to be able to stay overnight in the hospital when the baby is born. 7% of all birth certificates in the UK do not have the father's signature.

Even though the majority of UK Dads are present during the birth of their child, they still feel excluded and can be literally "shut out when visiting time is over".

The report quotes one father who said "It always seemed to be three o'clock in the morning when I left the hospital after the birth of one of my children . . . You wander aimlessly through those night streets until you arrive at home, or some other destination that ought to have meaning. But the real meaning is locked away in a bed in a ward in a building where you are not welcome."

-- Maternal and infant health in the perinatal period: the father's role
-- The Dad Deficit

www.fatherhoodinstitute.org

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
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