ECPAT, the coordinator of MenCare Guatemala, has released a series of posters, flyers and key chains for fathers, which will be distributed in clinics, hospitals and health centers around the country and used in trainings for health educators and promoters. The new materials aim to educate fathers about the importance of participating in pre-natal visits, being present during the birthing process and attending pediatric visits with their children and their partners.
The materials support one of MenCare’s core themes, which is “Be involved from the start.” Research finds that when men are present in caring, sensitive ways in the birthing and pre-natal phase, women experience less stressful deliveries and are more likely to have access to the best available health care. Studies also find that men who are present from the prenatal phase onward are more likely to be connected to their children from the earliest moments, with benefits for children and men themselves.
See MenCare Guatemala’s active fatherhood material in Spanish here.