Psychoprophylaxis helps tocophobic men

New research presented in a doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows that psychoprophylaxis can help men with tocophobia (fear of childbirth). The thesis, which is to be presented on 12 November, also shows that although psychoprophylaxis generally has no effect on the experience of childbirth for women or men, its actual use during delivery seems to reduce the risk of emergency C-section. Seventy per cent of all maternity clinics in Sweden now offer practical preparatory childbirth training, which often involve psychoprophylaxis. Malin Bergström, doctoral student at the Department of Woman and Child Health at Karolinska Institutet has previously shown that there is no correlation between antenatal psychoprophylactic training and women's and men's experiences of the actual delivery, the use of epidurals or the labour process. Her present study, however, shows that psychoprophylaxis does have some benefit - for tocophobic men. "These men make up a group that we have very scarce knowledge about, one that can actually benefit from psychoprophylaxis," says Ms Bergström. "This is important, as these men are easily neglected, and if they don't receive help the chances are that they won't tell anyone about their fears.