Birth experience of fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy: Are they prepared?

Table 1 Demographics of fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy compared to control

	Teenage (n = 50)	Control (n = 50)	P-value
Age, mean (SD)	21.2 (1.2)	31.7 (3.1)	< 0.0001
Country of birth
Australia	92%	65%	< 0.0001
Elsewhere	8%	35%
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander	18%	3%	0.01
Relationship status
Living with partner	32%	88%	< 0.0001
Not living with partner	68%	12%
Education
< 12 yr	24%	8%	< 0.0001
12 yr	74%	44%
> 12 yr	2%	48%
Employment
No	32%	6%	< 0.0001
Yes-locally	54%	76%
Yes-FIFO	14%	18%
Hours employed
0-15	35%	10%	< 0.0001
15-40	61%	12%
40+	4%	78%
Smoker	38%	20%	0.0087
First time father	96%	52%	< 0.0001
Pregnancy planning
Natural - planned	22%	68%	< 0.0001
IVF - planned	0%	10%
Unplanned	78%	22%
Childbirth education class
Full class	20%	52%	< 0.0001
Partial class	24%	8%
Did not attend	56%	40%

FIFO: Fly in, fly out worker; IVF: In-vitro fertilization.

Table 2 Role of fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy in intrapartum decision making

Did you play a role in the following decisions	Teenage (n = 50)	Control (n = 50)	P-value
Pain relief in labour
Yes	3 (6%)	15 (30%)	0.0002
No	47 (94%)	35 (70%)
Electronic foetal heart rate monitoring
Yes	1 (2%)	8 (16%)	0.0069
No	49 (98%)	42 (84%)
Artificial rupture of the membranes
Yes	0 (0%)	4 (8%)	0.049
No	50 (100%)	46 (92%)
Oxytocic infusion to accelerate labour
Yes	0 (0%)	8 (16%)	0.0058
No	50 (100%)	42 (84%)
Type of birth (by example need for assisted delivery or caesarean section)
Yes	2 (4%)	14 (28%)	0.0002
No	48 (96%)	36 (72%)
Who enters the delivery room
Yes	9 (18%)	39 (78%)	< 0.0001
No	41 (82%)	11 (22%)
Who held your baby immediately after the birth
Yes	8 (16%)	40 (80%)	< 0.0001
No	42 (84%)	10 (20%)
Timing of the baby’s first feed
Yes	2 (4%)	5 (10%)	0.16
No	48 (96%)	45 (90%)

Table 3 Birth outcomes and experiences of fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy

Birth outcomes	Teenage (n = 50)	Control (n = 50)	P-value
Gestational age of baby
Preterm (< 37 wk)	6 (12%)	4 (8%)	0.15
Term (37-41 wk)	42 (84%)	41 (82%)
Post term (> 41 wk)	2 (4%)	5 (10%)
Induction of labour
Yes	9 (18%)	14 (28%)	0.02
No	40 (80%)	31 (62%)
N/A (had elective CS)	1 (2%)	5 (10%)
Newborn gender
Male	25 (50%)	27 (54%)
Female	25 (50%)	23 (46%)	0.57
Birth weight below 10% adjusted for gestational age
Yes	8 (16%)	4 (8%)	0.037
No	42 (84%)	46 (92%)
Delivery mode
Spontaneous vaginal birth	39 (78%)	26 (52%)	0.0007
Assisted vaginal birth	6 (12%)	8 (16%)
Elective Caesarean birth	1 (2%)	5 (10%)
Non-elective Caesarean birth	4 (8%)	11 (22%)
Required admission to a neonatal nursery
Yes	10 (20%)	5 (10%)	0.018
No	40 (80%)	45 (90%)
Father attended the birth
Yes	49 (98%)	50 (100%)	0.91
No	1 (2%)	0 (0%)
Father felt prepared for the birth
Yes	6 (12%)	42 (84%)	< 0.0001
Neutral	37 (74%)	2 (4%)
No	7 (14%)	4 (8%)
Father found midwifery staff to be helpful
Yes	40 (80%)	41 (82%)	0.60
Neutral	8 (16%)	6 (12%)
No	2 (4%)	3 (6%)
Father found medical staff to be helpful
Yes	38 (76%)	41 (82%)	0.004
Neutral	10 (20%)	4 (8%)
No	2 (4%)	5 (10%)
Father felt consulted by staff during birth
Yes	5 (10%)	40 (80%)	< 0.0001
Neutral	22 (44%)	6 (12%)
No	23 (46%)	4 (8%)

N/A: Not applicable.