Table 4 Male involvement along the spectrum of maternal and newborn health care
Antenatal visits | Delivery | Post natal Visits | Maternal or Newborn Complications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Provides Financial Resources | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Provides Food | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
Arranges Transport | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accompanies wife to facility | Only if complication | Yes, but facility delivery only if complication | No | Yes, if serious |
Present in clinic during care | No | No; very strong norms against this | No | Sometimes |
Key Decision-maker | Husband | Husband (Delivery Location) | Husband | Husband; Often other women when related to complications in the delivery room or immediate post-partum period |
Barriers for greater overall involvement | Gendered norms on roles; men’s lack of knowledge on maternal and newborn health; health facility barriers (health provider attitudes, physical infrastructure of health facilities not conducive to male involvement) | |||