PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of paters' doula touch during labor on paternal attachment and role confidence to neonate and couple attachment. METHODS: The participants were 60 couples of laboring woman and her husband who were hospitalized from May 2010 to december 2010. Among 60 couples, 30 couples were assigned to an experimental group and the other 30 couples to a control group. All of them had any other complications of pregnancy. During one month, the paters' duola touch was applied to the experimental group of 32~42 gestation once a week and be in labor. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 14.0 Win program. RESULTS: The scores for role confidence to neonate and couple attachment in the experimental group were significantly higher than those for the control group. The paternal attachment score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, but it was not significant. CONCLUSION: From these findings, it is concluded that paters' doula touch during pregnancy and labor can be helpful to improve attachment to the neonate and his/her spouse.
Doulas ; Family Characteristics ; Fathers ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Spouses