Paternal Preferences, Perspectives, and Involvement in Perinatal Decision Making

Despite increasing attention to the importance of father involvement during pregnancy, the literature on fathers' roles in perinatal decision making is scant.

The aim of this study was to conduct a narrative review of the literature exploring fathers' preferences, perspectives, and involvement in perinatal decision making.

We searched PubMed, Ovid, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases using the terms father, spouse(s), husband, and paternal separately with the combined terms of attitude, preference, involvement, influence, informed consent, decision making, pregnancy, labor induction, genetic testing, prenatal diagnosis, amniocentesis, fetal surgery, genetic abnormalities, congenital anomalies, birth defects, perinatal, and antenatal. The search was limited to English-language studies that were published anytime and conducted between July and September 2018.

The initial search identified 616 articles; 13 articles met criteria for inclusion. Fathers view themselves as serving distinct roles in perinatal decision making and have specific informational needs that would support their involvement in decision making. Although fathers want to support their partners and learn about fetal health, they often feel excluded from perinatal screening decisions. Mothers and fathers also have different needs, concerns, and preferences regarding key perinatal decisions that, if unresolved, can impact the couples' relationship and perinatal outcomes.

Findings provide import insights into the distinct experiences, roles, needs, and perspectives of fathers facing perinatal decision making.

Advancing research and policy on fathers' involvement in perinatal decision making could lead to a paradigm shift in how maternity care is structured, how obstetric services are delivered, and how perinatal interventions are designed and implemented.