PATERNAL PARTICIPATION IN BIRTH PREPAREDNESS AND COMPLICATION READINESS DURING CHILDBIRTH: REVIEW PAPER

Abstract

Background: Humans reproduce through a unique biological process known as childbirth, which marks the start of life outside the mother’s womb. Males play a crucial role in ensuring safe childbirth. Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) is a strategy that prepares for birth by identifying blood donors, selecting a delivery location, ensuring the availability of skilled birth attendants, budgeting for transportation, and recognising early signs of complications.

Objectives: To determine the level of male participation in birth preparedness and complication readiness and its associated factors during childbirth.

Method and materials: For the literature review, systematic search strategies were adopted to identify relevant Studies. Literature review searched with different databases like Cinahl, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, SciInfo,\ and ResearchGate using keywords such as “male participation” and “ birth preparedness, and complication readiness was used to locate the necessary literature. A search in an initial database yielded about 43,000 records. Finally, 11 studies were included.

Result: the reviewed studies highlight key insights regarding paternal involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness. There are significant concerns surrounding infant and maternal mortality rates, which are found to be high. Mostly, participants were inadequately prepared for birth, whereas complication readiness, Socio-economic factors, particularly employment status, showed a positive correlation with these aspects of preparedness.

Conclusion: There are substantial deficiencies in birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) practices. High maternal and neonatal mortality rates continue despite universal healthcare initiatives. There is an urgent need for enhanced awareness and targeted interventions to improve BPCR and tackle maternal and newborn health issues.