Anxious dads should prepare for caesarean -study

The reactions of fathers at a caesarean birth can affect the levels of fear, anxiety and pain their wives or partners experience, researchers said on Wednesday.

If men are more aware of what to expect before the operation, it could improve the experience for both the mother and father, the researchers suggest.

“Birth partners can have potentially beneficial effects on maternal birth experiences,” said Dr. Ed Keogh of the University of Bath in southwestern England.

“Rather than removing them from the operating theater altogether, it would be better to target the emotional well-being of the birth partner to help reduce the anxiety and fear experienced by the mother,” he added.

About one in four babies in Britain is delivered by caesarean section, which is considered the easier option to a normal delivery. Fear of pain during birth is one of the reasons for the rising rate of caesareans, according to Keogh.

In a study of 61 women and their birth partners, most of whom were their husbands, Keogh and his team found that mothers with negative birth expectations experienced the most fear during the surgery and greater pain afterwards.

“Maternal fear fluctuates during a caesarean section but it can be influenced by the psychosocial factors around them, including their birth partner,” said Keogh, who reported the research in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Preparing fathers in antenatal class for a caesarean and again before the surgery could reduce their anxiety and fear and make it less stressful for the mother, he added.

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