Couvade syndrome
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Couvade syndrome is a medical/mental condition which "involves a father experiencing some of the behavior of his wife at near the time of childbirth, including her birth pains, postpartum seclusion, food restrictions, and sex taboos" (Counihan, p.69).
The term "couvade" is derived from the early French word (Couver "to brood") and originally referred to the medieval Basque custom in which the father, during or immediately after the birth of a child, took to bed, complained of having labour pains, and was accorded the treatment usually shown women during pregnancy or after childbirth. The medical term for this condition is sympathetic pregnancy.
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[edit] Symptoms
Couvade is a common but poorly understood phenomenon whereby the expectant father experiences apparently physical symptoms during the pregnancy for which there is no recognized physiological basis. Symptoms commonly include indigestion, increased or decreased appetite, weight gain, diarrhea or constipation, headache, and toothache... Couvade has been seen as an expression of somatized anxiety, pseudo-sibling rivalry, identification with the fetus, ambivalence about fatherhood, a statement of paternity, or parturition envy. It is likely that the dynamics of couvade may vary between individuals and may be multidetermined (Klein, 1991).
In some extreme cases, fathers can grow a belly similar to a 7-month pregnant woman and gain approximately 25 to 30 pounds ("phantom pregnancy"). Other symptoms include and are not limited to developed cravings, suffered nausea, breast augmentation, and insomnia.
In "Psycho-Evolutionary" theory, it is thought that couvade is a way to minimize sexual differences in the pregnancy and birthing experience. The couvade may also be a way to establish the father's role in the child's life and to give balance to the gender roles. Couvade is more common where sex roles are flexible and the female is of a dominant status [1].
[edit] Causes
Studies have shown that the male partner cohabitating with a pregnant female will experience hormonal shifts in his prolactin, cortisol, estradiol and testosterone levels;[2] typically starting at the end of the first trimester and continuing through several weeks post-partum. [2] Suggested explanations of how and why this occurs include an interaction of factors (some of which are little-researched) such as pheromones, circadian rhythms, simple stress, and mitogenetics. It has been suggested that spouse sleep disturbances may affect the neurohormonal. One possible mechanism is the increased basal estrogen levels from peripheral conversion of testosterone by adipose tissue. To date no biologic target has been identified as a cause of this pain syndrome.[citation needed]
Couvade has been reported by travelers throughout history, including the Greek geographer Strabo and the Venetian traveler Marco Polo. It has been observed and studied by anthropologists in modern times and is often seen in tribal societies. In some indigenous societies, "sympathetic pregnancy" is attributed to demons or spirits inflicting the symptoms in an attempt to cause problems for the family.
Currently, scientists are at a loss to whether or not Couvade syndrome should be considered psychosomatic, as the syndrome is brought on by a psychological effect (i.e.) the pregnancy of the wife, but was formerly considered a form of Munchausen syndrome.[citation needed] Formerly a number of elaborate psychological explanations were given for it, but today the general medical thought is shifting to a more physical explanation based on hormones. The peripheral conversion of testosterone to estrogen in adipose cells can cause a surge of estrogen. The hormonal link to pain rests in estrogen's proinflammatory effects and in particular its affect on IL-2 and TNF-alpha release. This theory, has been debunked largely by failed treatment with anti-estrogen pharmacotherapies. Successful models of care are based on managing this condition as psychosomatic in origin.
Individuals who continue to have pain in the postpartum period can be managed successfully with biofeedback. Anxiolytics or antipsychotics are a last resort but have showed promise for refractory pain. The strong association with other Axis II or Axis III disorders suggests that other emotional or psychological disturbances may hinder prompt treatment.
Author Gordon Churchwell has written extensively on the hormonal explanation for the phenomena.
[edit] References
- ^ Abensour, Léon. "Histoire générale du féminisme". http://books.google.com/books?id=Idw8NKD3zD4C&pg=PA11.
- ^ a b A.E. Storey; C.J. Walsh, R.L. Quinton, K.E. Wynne-Edwards (2000). "Hormonal Correlates of Paternal Responsiveness in new and expectant fathers". Evolution and Human Behavior 21: 79–95. doi:.
- Klein, H. Couvade syndrome: male counterpart to pregnancy. Int J Psychiatry Med, 21: 1, 1991, 57-69.
- Counihan, Carole. The Anthropology of Food and Body: Gender, Meaning, and Power. New York: Routledge, 1999.
