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The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" could well correspond to what the doctor prescribed for future fathers.
A new study by Rutgers reveals that by adding some subtle clues to waiting rooms for prenatal care, such as pictures of men and babies, as well as pamphlets and magazines aimed at men , OBGYNs may involve fathers more in prenatal care and improve health outcomes. women and infants.
The study, which appears in the newspaper Plos One, tested whether the presence of friendly clues to fathers in gynecology offices would improve men's participation. Images, brochures and magazines from typical gynecology offices tend to only concern mothers. A balance of images centered on fathers and mothers could help men better visualize and trust their role in prenatal care, the researchers said.
"Research suggests that the involvement of fathers during pregnancy has beneficial effects on the physical and psychological health of mothers and children, yet fathers are often not involved during this crucial period. society compels men to reduce their expectations and many say to themselves I do not know what role they should play during this period, which often results in low involvement, "said Analia Albuja, senior researcher and postgraduate student in social psychology in Rutgers.
Research has created two simulated waiting rooms for antenatal care. One of them only included pictures of women and babies as a backdrop, as well as information and magazines aimed at women. The other included these, in addition to pictures of men and infants, as well as information and magazines intended for men. The men participating in the studies viewed or visited one of these two offices with their pregnant partner.
They found that men who visited the Fathers 'Friends office reported being more convinced that doctors were expecting a lot of fathers' participation in antenatal care than men who had visited the office strictly reserved for mothers.
The researchers found that this shift in men's perceptions of what physicians thought of the father's role was critical to changing men's confidence in parenting intentions.
They found that men's changing perceptions of the doctor's beliefs, including the extent to which men believed that fathers played a vital role in infant health, were essential to increasing men's confidence in their health. parenting, their intention to know more about pregnancy and their compatible health behaviors during their pregnancy.
Men who thought that doctors had higher expectations also indicated that they would be more willing to learn about pregnancy and adopt healthy habits, including avoiding smoking and consuming alcohol. during the pregnancy of their partner. They also felt more comfortable and confident in their ability to be fathers.
"We should increase men's comfort and perceived expectations of involvement during pregnancy.This may be a simple, easy to implement intervention for physicians' offices due to its low cost and scalability, "said Diana Sanchez, co-author and professor of psychology at Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Science. "While this intervention increases men's participation in prenatal care, previous research suggests that this should lead to healthier outcomes for women and infants, such as lower alcohol and tobacco consumption at home. mothers and a lower probability of low birth weight infants. "
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The study's co-authors included Stacy Yadava, a physician at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and researchers from the University of Michigan.
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