A high-risk pregnancy can cause anxiety or depression in expectant mothers, and it can also affect expectant fathers. In this blog post, the author of a new paper in BMC pregnancy and childbirth discuss their results in the understudied area of paternity and high-risk pregnancies.
Does a high-risk pregnancy also affect fathers/partners?
The transition to fatherhood has a significant impact on men’s mental health and well-being. This is further exacerbated in the context of paternity and high-risk pregnancies (HRP), which remain a clearly under-researched area. The experience of impending parenthood is usually met with some anxiety but typically more excitement and joy. This joy can be shattered in the context of HRP for both mother and father. These effects are felt in similar but different ways, and while research in the field of HRP more broadly remains limited, research specifically on fathers and HRP is scarce. Therefore, our study addressed the need to examine fathers’ experiences regarding HRP, specifically using a scoping review methodology.
What prompted you to research the impact of high-risk pregnancy on fathers?
HRP has negative psychological effects on both parents. In men, this period is also associated with severe stress-related symptoms, including an increased risk of developing mental health problems, including but not limited to anxiety and depression. This means that fathers also need support, especially in the context of their role of being perceived only as carers and supporters of their partners. This research is also linked to a larger study focusing on the experiences of fathers and HRPs using an ethnographic, grounded theory approach.
How does high-risk pregnancy affect fathers?
Ultimately, this research provides a better understanding of fathers’ needs and what structures, interventions, and policies should be put in place to ensure fathers feel both part and part of the pregnancy throughout the pregnancy, especially a high-risk one .
Through our research we have found that fathers are adversely affected by HRP by the way healthcare professionals treat them. These effects are felt in the lack of information made available to fathers and a lack of figurative and literal spaces in the hospital environment for fathers to occupy. Fathers often reported that health professionals tended to inform mothers only about the various treatment plans, prognosis of treatment, and the condition of mother and child, thereby excluding father from the treatment process altogether and devaluing his presence, experience, and contribution to the family as whole. Additionally, we found that fathers tend to redefine their identities and the roles they envision in terms of what it means to be a “dad.” This was experienced both in fulfilling a support role in the hospital and in the role of a single parent at home, ensuring that older children were cared for and the household continued to function. All of these changes and uncertainties ultimately led to fathers facing a range of psychological challenges.
How would a focus on fathers improve outcomes for mother, father and baby?
Our study has shown that providing fathers with more emotional and practical support has a direct impact on the support they can provide for their child(ren) and partner. A lack of felt support increases mental health problems, which has long-term effects on fathers. This in turn is perceived by mother and child(ren). A key finding of our study in this context is the need for a family-centred approach by hospitals and healthcare providers when treating the family as a complete and functional unit.
Why is it important?
This research is important because it recognizes and highlights the alienation experienced by fathers and the difficulties they face as a result of this alienation by health professionals due to a lack of information made available to them. Ultimately, this research provides a better understanding of fathers’ needs and what structures, interventions, and policies should be put in place to ensure fathers feel both part and part of the pregnancy throughout the pregnancy, especially a high-risk one .
What surprised or excited you the most?
It was surprising to see how little research has focused on paternity in the context of HRP. This is despite the limited research that has focused on mothers’ experiences of HRP. The more significant finding was that fathers experienced a range of mental health challenges that went unspoken or out of focus. Essentially, the focus on the father involved is a relevant debate right now as fathers navigate the disconnect between the father involved, traditional constructs of masculinity, and the medical spaces where they are not always welcomed or supported.
