Chinese husbands' presence during labour: a preliminary study in Hong Kong

This study compares the childbirth outcomes of women whose husbands were present during labour with those whose husbands were absent. A retrospective comparative design was used. Sixty-three Hong Kong Chinese primigravid mothers recruited from childbirth education classes were allocated to one of two groups: those whose husband attended labour (n = 45) and those whose husband was not in attendance (n = 18). Details of demographic characteristics, maternal history and antenatal attendance were obtained along with obstetric measures of maternal anxiety, pain perception, dosage of analgesia used, and length of labour. The results indicated that women whose husbands were present during labour used significantly higher dosage of analgesia than those whose husbands were absent. No significant differences were found between groups in other outcome measures. The researcher concluded that nurse-midwives in Hong Kong need to find ways to help husbands provide the type of support that may help their partners during labour.