Family Issues in the 21st Century Series H P : S , ANDBOOK OF ARENTING TYLES

Аннотация

Antenatal education is a crucial component of antenatal care, yet practice and research demonstrate that women and men now seek far more than the traditional approach of a labor and birth focused program attended in the final weeks of pregnancy. This study was designed to determine whether a new antenatal education program, designed from a needs based assessment of expectant and new parents, with increased parenting content, could improve parenting outcomes when compared to a traditional program. A randomized control trial conducted at a specialist referral maternity hospital in Sydney, Australia, measured the pre and postnatal outcomes of 170 women birthing at the hospital who attended the hospital antenatal education programs and their male partners. The intervention, a new Having a Baby program, was tested against the traditional hospital program which acted as the control. The primary outcome measure was perceived parenting self-efficacy, with worry and perceived knowledge also being measured. The results revealed the perceived maternal self-efficacy scores of women and men in the experimental program were significantly higher than those in the control program and worry scores were lower, but they did not reach statistical significance. Birth outcomes were similar. The new program improved parenting knowledge and self- efficacy. Parenting programs which continue in the early postnatal period may be beneficial. This chapter will provide a description of the randomized control trial as well as a summary of the key elements of the new program. It will be of interest to midwives, physical therapists and all involved in antenatal and postnatal education. 64 Jane Svensson