Department of Psychology
More About PATPA
The investigators
IVFAustralia, Macquarie University, the Key Centre for Women’s Health, University of Melbourne and Melbourne IVF are collaborating on this study of couples in different age-groups expecting their first baby. The study is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), IVFAustralia and Melbourne IVF.
The study is being conducted by Drs
Catherine McMahon (02 9850 6213) and Frances Gibson (02 9850 9828)
from Macquarie University, Associate Professor Jane Fisher (03 8344
8819) from the University of Melbourne and Professor Douglas
Saunders (02 9231 9222) from IVFAustralia.
The participants
Couples from selected public and private hospitals and IVF clinics who are expecting their first baby were invited to take part. Couples were asked at 26-32 weeks pregnancy to complete a questionnaire about their experience of pregnancy and to participate in a telephone interview. The interview and questionnaire explored their experience of pregnancy, their health and wellbeing and their expectations of parenthood.
Participants were invited again when baby was between 4-6months old to complete another questionnaire and interview about their experiences of early parenthood, their baby’s health and development.
Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential. No individual will be identified in any publication of the results. Participation is voluntary and consent can be withdrawn without explanation at any time, with no adverse consequence.
The study
The purpose of this study is to examine an established Australian trend indicating that over the last few decades more couples are having their first baby at an older age. For an increasing number of Australian couples, conception now requires the assistance of reproductive technologies (ART). There has been considerable community and government interest in the social and psychological implications of these changes for women, their partners and for society as a whole.
The study aims to provide a detailed and realistic picture of how couples in different age-groups experience pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood. The collected information will enable a better understanding of factors associated with optimal health and wellbeing in new parents and inform the provision of better medical, social and community services to help new parents meet the competing demands of childrearing and the workplace. The aim was to recruit 480 participants from Sydney and Melbourne from both public and private hospitals and IVF clinics. We were able to recruit 622 who completed the pregnancy phase with 571 completing the postnatal phase of the study
Due to an overwhelming retention rate by the participants between the pregnancy and postnatal phases we have begun a third phase of the study - Toddler follow-up - which will examine in the context of parental age and mode of conception; subsequent reproductive plans and events, maternal psychological wellbeing, employment and childcare, mother and child health and health service utilisation and experiences of parenting : study progress