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Father's heart beat responds to the birth of his child
T Kurki1, L Toivonen, O Ylikorkala
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica
|February 1, 1995
Abstract:
We monitored the electrocardiogram of 20 fathers while their child was born. Paternal heart rate rose on average by 53% during delivery from the starting point frequency (72 beats/min.) to the maximum (115 beats/min.) just before the birth of the child. Judging from the heart rate variation, paternal sympathetic activity increased by 25% and vagal tone decreased by 22% during delivery. No derangements in cardiac function were encountered, not even in the man who fainted.