Dansk præsentation på:

2 nd World Congress on Men’s Health October 25 - 27, 2002
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Sex & Gender Matter From Boys to Men – From Science to Practice

Men as fathers present at deliveries in hospital
Madsen SA 1 , Munck H 2 . 1 Clinic for Psychology, Play Therapy & Social Work, The Juliane Marie Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2 Centre for Infants and their Parents, Institute of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

With the aim to examine how men as fathers are met in the health care system presence, expectations and experiences of fathers before and after birth of their child were investigated.

A consecutive registration of the fathers’ presence at delivery was conducted for 700 deliveries. In addition 165 fathers completed questionnaires about expectations before a nd experiences after delivery.

• 95 pct. of Danish fathers attend delivery in the hospital – because they want to
• 70 pct. wish to stay overnight with the child and the mother in the hospital, which is not allowed
• 50 pct. participate in consultations at the general practitioner - 80 pct. do not feel directly invited – 50 pct. do not feel they are directly addressed to by the general practitioner during consultations
• 80 pct. participate in midwives’ prenatal preparation courses and prophylactic consultations - 54 pct. do not regard themselves as invited to midwives’ consultations - 40 pct. do not feel they are directly addressed by the midwives during consultations.

The health authorities in general ignore the fathers’ involvement, interest andengagement in participating in prenatal courses and delivery. The health authorities and the hospitals must change their future management of information, support and conditions surrounding pregnancy care and deliveries following the fact that fathers are present. As things stand today the fathers do not get the optimal conditions or support needed in connection with their participation in the deliveries of their children.