Background: A husband’s involvement in prenatal period can greatly lessen pain and stress,
improving the quality of the pregnancy; which in turn helps women to pass through the postpartum
period safely and to avoid any negative psychological changes such as postpartum blue. Aim: The
aim of the research was to examine the incidence of postpartum depression in primiparous women
and the impact of a husband's involvement in prenatal care on the intimacy of couples Design: A
quasi-experimental research design (two groups "control/study"). Setting: obstetrics and gynecology
outpatient clinic at Benha University hospitals in Qaliobya governorate, Egypt. Sample: A purposive
sample of (144) primiparous women was selected from the above-mentioned research settings for six
months; according to inclusion criteria. Tools: The data collection process utilized three primary tools:
a structured interviewing questionnaire (which included socio-demographic data and obstetric
history), Kennerley's Postpartum Blues Questionnaire, and the Unidimensional Relationship
Closeness Scale. Results: After intervention (one week and two weeks after delivery), the total mean
score of couples’ intimacy in the study group were significantly higher than the score in the control
group. Also, there was highly significant difference in all symptoms of postpartum blues between
control and study groups in the favor of study group. Conclusion: Couples' intimacy and postpartum
depression among primiparous women were positively affected by husbands' participation in prenatal
care Recommendation: Innovative approaches, including the provision of reproductive health
information to spouses, the training of healthcare providers in women's care, and the provision of
education on the health requirements and specific roles that men play in pregnancy and childbirth,
should be developed. |
