Birth

Some research has suggested that the period following the birth of a child is a stressful time for the conjugal relationship and that, when the dissatisfaction is not dealt with, it can even lead the couple to break up in the more or less short term. There is data demonstrating that support provided with respect to the conjugal relationship, the co-parental relationship, the parent-child relationship, and relations with the work environment may prevent premature separation and divorce, as well as strengthen parents' feelings of competency and fathers' involvement with their children. The Canada Chair in Family Psychosocial Health and the Centre for Studies and Research on Family Health Intervention (CERIF) focus on developing clinical practices with respect to parents in order to maintain family unity, promote the parent-child relationship and prevent neglect. For example, a recent study involving 380 fathers has made it possible to identify forms of paternal involvement in relation to the type of child feeding.