Father's heart beat responds to the birth of his child
Kurki, T.; Toivonen, L.; Ylikorkala, O.
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 74(2): 127-128
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6349 PMID: 7900507 Document Number: 442945
We monitored the electrocardiogram of 20 fathers while their child was born. Paternal heart rate rose on average by 53% during delivery from the starting point frequency (72 beats/min.) to the maximum (115 beats/min.) just before the birth of the child. Judging from the heart rate variation, paternal sympathetic activity increased by 25% and vagal tone decreased by 22% during delivery. No derangements in cardiac function were encountered, not even in the man who fainted.