New fathers' blood pressure and heart rate: relationships to interaction with their newborn infants.

Cardiovascular changes in 148 first-time fathers while holding and interacting with their newborn infants are described and relationships of fathers' verbal and nonverbal behavior with these cardiovascular changes are discussed. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored before, during, and after interaction with the infants in a controlled hospital setting using a noninvasive oscillometric monitor. Subjects were videotaped during the interaction period. Analyses of cardiovascular responses controlled for preinteraction values revealed that all measures were significantly higher during interaction than during the postinteraction period. The frequency of fathers' verbal behaviors was negatively related to SBP and positively related to HR during interaction. Frequency of infant crying was positively related to fathers' DBP both during interaction and in the postinteraction period. Fathers appeared highly sensitive to the stimuli of interacting with their newborns and responded in a complex manner to infant signals. The findings may indicate an autonomic balance that is situationally specific.