New dads who know the sex of their unborn child and give him or her a name before its born find it easier to bond with their baby, research shows.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham studied men’s experiences of becoming new fathers. They found out that by knowing the sex of the baby, men found it easier to bond with their new child, Daily Mail reports.
The researchers studied 11 men over nine months, from the very first scan to eight weeks after the birth of their child. The ages of participants ranged from 22 to 58.
The study found that men’s understanding of what it means to be “a good man” could hold them back from bonding with their children and getting involved with antenatal and postnatal care.
The report reads:
“Encouraging fathers to become actively involved, and drawing them in, may require more than making them feel welcome and creating space for them to talk, but also giving them explicit permission to become actively involved.”
Knowing the baby’s sex and maybe choosing a name can help dads bond with their newborns.
Researchers found that it can help to actively involve fathers in their partner’s pregnancy by making sure they attend scans. But the best help could be to find out the gender of the baby and give him or her a name that allows men to feel “emotionally connected” to the child.
Dr Jonathan Ives, a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, said: “Serious consideration needs to be given to how men can be empowered to become the fathers they want to be.
“Healthcare workers who are involved in this process need to engage with men’s views on what it is to be a good man, a good partner, and a good father, and help them achieve an appropriate balance between their own needs and interests and those of their partner and future children.”
