[Presence of the husband in the delivery room (author's transl)]

For the past 7 years a single delivery room was available for all patients in labour. Our unit delivers approximately 1200 babies yearly. It was therefore possible to encourage the husbands progressively to be present during the delivery of their wives. Almost one half of the husbands have since been present during the delivery of their wives. The majority of the couples responded positively to the offer of the husband's presence in the delivery room. 650 couples were extensively questioned following the experience and over 90% of these couples were happy with the experience. Doubtful husbands were advised to remain. Husbands with pronounced aversion against remaining in the delivery room were not persuaded to stay. The husbands had the possibility to leave the room for short breaks and to leave the room during examinations and procedures. Delivery room clothing was supplied. For the psychic benefit of the husband, the husband was kept busy with mild services. Presence of the husband during the actual delivery of the infant was always voluntary since there was no psychologic benefit to remain during the short anaesthesia used during delivery. In many cases husbands who had not even planned to remain stayed during the actual delivery and were very impressed. Late questioning after discharge from the hospital showed that almost all couples valued the experience as positive and planned to have the husband present for the next delivery. The presence of the husband during the delivery of his infant offers a chance for the additional humanization of obstetrics which appears to be very important because of the increasing danger of depersonalization of the labour and delivery process due to the new technology. Presence of the husband during the delivery in the hospital permits a partial return to the "idyllic" state of domicilary obstetrics.