The couvade syndrome

its psychophysiological, neurotic, and psychotic manifestations

Gómez

Ponce Sandlin

George L. Adams

pp. 129-141

in: William E. Fann, Ismet Karacan, Alex D. Pokorný, Robert L. Williams (eds), Phenomenology and treatment of psychophysiological disorders, Berlin, Springer, 1982

Abstract

The psychosomatic and other emotional problems of fatherhood are probably more frequent than the relatively small number of publications on the subject would indicate. Couvade is the name given a process or custom in which a husband develops symptoms of pregnancy during his wife's parturient and puerperal periods. Much neglected in the psychiatric literature, most references to couvade are limited to the psychophysiological reactions seen in expectant fathers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the complexities of couvade and to demonstrate its occurrence not only as a psychophysiologic reaction but as a neurotic and psychotic disorder as well.