Including expectant fathers in antenatal education programmes in Istanbul,Turkey

In this article we present the results of three studies investigating metho ds for including men in antenatal education in Istanbul, Turkey, Participan ts were first-time expectant parents living in low and middle-income areas. After a formative study on the roles of various family members in health d uring the period surrounding a first birth, on antenatal-clinic-based educa tion programme for women and for couples was carried out as a randomised, c ontrolled study. Based on the results, separate community-based antenatal e ducation programmes for expectant mothers and expectant fathers were tested . There was demand among many pregnant women and some of their husbands for including expectant fathers in antenatal education. In the short term, the se programmes seemed to hove positive effects on women and men's reproducti ve health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. In the clinic-based programm e the positive effects of including men were mainly in the area of post-par tum family planning, while in the community-bosed programme positive effect s among men were also seen in the areas of infant health, infant feeding an d spousal communication and support. Free antenatal education should be mod e available to all expectant mothers and when possible, men should be inclu ded, either together with their wives or in a culture such as that of Turke y, in separate groups.