Maternity Maternity

Information for midwives, paediatricians, obstetricians and other professionals working in the maternity services: helping expectant fathers to support their pregnant partners, and supporting new fathers in the transition to parenthood.

Dads’ postnatal depression – not postpartum psychosis, but still serious
FI research » Maternity
8 May 2014
A quick update about postnatal depression in dads. We were recently challenged by someone on Twitter, who said: “PND is a serious psychiatric disorder occurring after childbirth. 
Dad’s the word: why it’s time for medical experts to get real about fathers’ importance
Practice » Maternity
Blog » Maternity
22 April 2014
Adrienne Burgess writes: Infancy is the best time to set parents’ relationships with their children – and each other – off on the right track. 
FI Research Summary: Fathers, care-taking and hormones
FI research » Maternity
6 January 2014
Men are not ‘biologically’ less suited to caring for children than women: • when similarly supported, both sexes develop childcare skills at the same rate (Myers, 1982) • through what they learn they can have similarly positive effects on their children and on family functioning (Cia et al, 2010; Melnyk et al, 2006;. 
Program P: A Manual for Engaging Men in Fatherhood, Caregiving, and Maternal and Child Health
External research » Maternity
Practice » Maternity
14 November 2013
Program P (“P” for “Padre” in Spanish and “Pai” in Portuguese, meaning “Father”) provides concrete strategies for engaging men in active caregiving from their partner’s pregnancy through their child’s early years. 
Case study: ‘Husband schools’ in Niger
31 July 2013
Écoles des Maris (‘Schools for Husbands’) in Niger is a UNFPA-funded project based on the theory that men‘s social power can act as a brake on rates of improvement in maternal and child health. 
‘Invisible Fathers’ Working With Young Dads Resource Pack
FI research » Maternity
Practice » Maternity
23 July 2013
Young fathers (aged 16-24) are some of the most invisible, marginalised and vulnerable parents in the UK. Many – though by no means all – have grown up in difficult circumstances, are on low incomes or benefits, have few academic qualifications and relatively poor career prospects.