Medicine:Couvade syndrome
Couvade syndrome, also called sympathetic pregnancy, is a proposed condition in which an expectant parent who is not pregnant experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as their pregnant partner.[1] These most often include major weight gain, altered hormone levels, morning nausea, and disturbed sleep patterns. In more extreme cases, symptoms can include labor pains, fatigue, postpartum depression, and nosebleeds. The labor pain symptom is commonly known as sympathy pain.
The source of Couvade syndrome is a matter of debate. Some believe it to be a psychosomatic condition, while others believe it may have biological causes relating to hormone changes.[2]
The name derives from "couvade", a class of male pregnancy rituals.
Symptoms
Symptoms experienced by the partner can include stomach pain, back pain, indigestion, changes in appetite, weight gain, acne, diarrhea, constipation, headache, toothache,[3] cravings, nausea, breast augmentation, breast growth, dry navel, hardening of the nipple, excessive earwax, and insomnia.[2] A qualitative study listed 35 symptoms from Couvade literature, including gastrointestinal, genitourinary, respiratory, oral or dental, stiffening of the glutes, generalized aches and pains, and other symptoms.[4]
Proposed explanations
Studies have shown that expectant fathers experience hormonal shifts during their partner's pregnancy, including increased levels of prolactin, cortisol, and estradiol and decreased levels of testosterone.[5] These hormonal changes typically begin at the end of the first trimester and continue through several weeks postpartum,[6] and are thought to promote caregiving behaviors in new fathers.[5] Research has demonstrated that men with more symptoms of Couvade syndrome have higher levels of prolactin and larger decreases in testosterone in comparison to men with fewer symptoms.[6]
Psychological causes suggested have included anxiety, pseudo-sibling rivalry, identification with the fetus, ambivalence about fatherhood, or parturition envy.[3] According to Osvlosky and Culp (1989), pregnancy causes the male counterpart to experience an emergence of ambivalence as well as a recurrence of Oedipal conflict.[7] In 1920s France, Couvade was claimed to be more common in conditions where sex roles are flexible and the female is of a dominant status.[8]
See also
- Pregnancy in transgender men
- Pregnancy in males
- False pregnancy
References
- ↑ Lack, Evonne (April 2012). "Strange but true: Couvade syndrome (sympathetic pregnancy)". Baby Center. http://www.babycenter.com/0_strange-but-true-couvade-syndrome-sympathetic-pregnancy_10364940.bc.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Partners suffer from phantom pregnancy". BBC. 14 June 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6751709.stm.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Klein, Hilary (1991). "Couvade syndrome: Male counterpart to pregnancy". International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 21 (1): 57–69. doi:10.2190/FLE0-92JM-C4CN-J83T. PMID 2066258.
- ↑ Brennan, Arthur; Marshall-Lucette, Sylvie; Ayers, Susan; Ahmed, Hafez (February 2007). "A qualitative exploration of the Couvade syndrome in expectant fathers". Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 25 (1): 18–39. doi:10.1080/02646830601117142. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/2004/6/A_Qualitative_Exploration_of_the_Couvade_Syndrome_in_Expectant_Father.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wdowiak, Krystian; Maciocha, Agnieszka; Wąż, Julia (2025-06-01). "Couvade Syndrome: History and Current Perspectives" (in EN). Journal of Psychosexual Health. doi:10.1177/26318318251343403. ISSN 2631-8318.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Storey, Anne E.; Walsh, Carolyn J.; Quinton, Roma L.; Wynne-Edwards, Katherine E. (March 2000). "Hormonal correlates of paternal responsiveness in new and expectant fathers". Evolution and Human Behavior 21 (2): 79–95. doi:10.1016/S1090-5138(99)00042-2. PMID 10785345. Bibcode: 2000EHumB..21...79S.
- ↑ Brennan, Arthur; Ayers, Susan; Ahmed, Hafez; Marshall-Lucette, Sylvie (August 2007). "A critical review of the Couvade syndrome: the pregnant male". Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 25 (3): 173–89. doi:10.1080/02646830701467207. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/2005/6/A_CRITICAL_REVIEW_OF_THE_COUVADE_SYNDROME.pdf.
- ↑ Abensour, Léon (1921) (in French). Histoire générale du féminisme des origines à nos jours. Delagrave. p. 11. OCLC 220162157. https://archive.org/details/histoiregnraled00abengoog.
Further reading
- Nippoldt, Todd B. (January 15, 2014). "What can you tell me about Couvade syndrome? Can men really experience sympathetic pregnancy symptoms?". Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/couvade-syndrome/faq-20058047.
- Trethowan, W. H.; Conlon, M. F. (1965). "The Couvade Syndrome". The British Journal of Psychiatry 111 (470): 57–66. doi:10.1192/bjp.111.470.57. PMID 14261730.
- Lipkin, Mack; Lamb, G. S. (1982). "The Couvade Syndrome: An Epidemiologic Study". Annals of Internal Medicine 96 (4): 509–11. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-96-4-509. PMID 7199885.
- Trethowan, W.H. (1968). "The couvade syndrome—some further observations". Journal of Psychosomatic Research 12 (1): 107–15. doi:10.1016/0022-3999(68)90016-0. PMID 5663941.
- Khanobdee, Chantima; Sukratanachaiyakul, Varunee; Gay, Janice Templeton (1993). "Couvade syndrome in expectant Thai fathers". International Journal of Nursing Studies 30 (2): 125–31. doi:10.1016/0020-7489(93)90062-Y. PMID 8496024.
- Masoni, S.; Maio, A.; Trimarchi, G.; De Punzio, C.; Fioretti, P. (1994). "The couvade syndrome". Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology 15 (3): 125–31. doi:10.3109/01674829409025637. PMID 8000469.
- Bogren, L. Y. (1984). "The couvade syndrome: Background variables". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 70 (4): 316–20. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1984.tb01215.x. PMID 6496155.
External links
 |  |
