The partner’s role in promoting maternal and infant well-being and outcomes along the birth pathway

The active involvement of the partner during pregnancy and throughout the childbirth pathway represents a key clinical and relational determinant in promoting maternal, fetal, and family well-being. In this context, the partner’s role emerges as a complex and multidimensional function, integrating the dimensions of companion, spouse, and future father, and assuming a structural value in shaping the parental experience.

International evidence and reference guidelines, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2023), demonstrate that structured, continuous, and informed paternal support significantly contributes to the modulation of maternal stress and perinatal anxiety, improving adherence to clinical recommendations and preventive interventions throughout pregnancy. Observational studies indicate that up to 65% of pregnant women report greater serenity, security, and a sense of protection when accompanied by an actively involved partner during prenatal visits and decision-making processes, with positive effects on compliance with screenings, vaccinations, and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Relational and Parental Dimensions of the Partner

In the role of companion, the partner provides an emotionally regulating and consistent presence, offering active listening, emotional containment, and relational continuity during a period of profound psychophysical transformation for the woman.
As a partner, he actively participates in the reorganization of family and domestic dynamics, supporting the woman in clinical and logistical decisions and contributing to the construction of a shared parenting project based on co-responsibility, trust, and effective communication.
As a future father, involvement in the birth pathway facilitates early paternal identity formation and conscious preparation for parenthood, with positive effects on parent–child relationship quality and parenting competence in the postnatal period.

The Impact of Paternal Support

From a pathophysiological perspective, the constant and reassuring presence of the partner exerts a modulatory effect on maternal neuroendocrine systems, particularly on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, contributing to reduced secretion of cortisol and catecholamines. This regulation supports improved uterine tone balance, optimized placental perfusion, and more regular uterine contractility, resulting in enhanced fetal oxygenation. These physiological adaptations are associated with a reduced risk of gestational complications such as hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, as well as an increased likelihood of spontaneous physiological birth, reducing the need for invasive obstetric interventions.

Continuity of Involvement from Pre- to Postpartum

Paternal involvement extends beyond the prenatal period and includes active participation in postpartum educational programs. During this phase, fathers acquire essential practical skills and theoretical knowledge for daily newborn care, strengthening parental self-efficacy and promoting a balanced distribution of caregiving roles within the couple. Postnatal educational programs provide an optimal context for teaching primary newborn care, including daily hygiene, diaper changes, bathing, umbilical cord care, recognition of hunger and discomfort cues, sleep management, and prevention of major domestic risks.

In parallel, the partner’s involvement in preparing the home environment and nursery holds not only logistical but also symbolic and relational significance. Designing a safe, functional, and developmentally appropriate environment supports continuity of care from birth setting to home, reduces parental anxiety, and promotes smoother family adaptation. This preparation includes organizing spaces for sleep, diapering, and feeding, selecting furniture and materials compliant with safety standards, and creating a protective and welcoming domestic environment.

Presence and Role of the Partner During Labor and Birth

During labor and birth, the partner’s active presence facilitates maternal breathing regulation, adoption of physiological positions, non-pharmacological pain management, and effective communication with the obstetric team, contributing to reduced perceptions of fatigue, anxiety, and psychophysiological stress.
In the postpartum period, continued paternal support promotes consolidation of mother–infant bonding, supports the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, and reduces the risk of maternal emotional distress.

Epidemiological data indicate that structured and continuous paternal involvement along the birth pathway is associated with favorable neonatal and family outcomes, including increased exclusive breastfeeding rates during the first six months of life, greater infant emotional stability, more harmonious psychomotor development, and higher maternal satisfaction with the birth and postpartum experience. Partner participation also strengthens family cohesion and supports a more balanced and resilient transition to parenthood.

Active paternal involvement—understood in its threefold dimension as companion, spouse, and father, and sustained throughout the prenatal and postnatal continuum—represents an evidence-based intervention capable of significantly improving maternal, neonatal, and family outcomes. The integration of educational pathways, emotional support, practical preparation, and shared parental responsibility promotes a family-centered, safe, conscious, and physiologically respectful model of care, aligned with the most up-to-date international recommendations.