The couvade and the onset of paternal care: A biological perspective

The term “couvade” refers to a variety of rituals performed by men in nonindustrialized societies, around the time of birth of their offspring. Couvade symptoms are shown at similar times by men in industrialized societies, and these symptoms may be physical or psychosomatic. Behavioral change is also seen in a wide variety of male mammals during their mates' pregnancies. These males change from being infanticidal or indifferent toward infants to being paternal. This onset of paternal care, before the arrival of the young, is mediated by social cues that initiate physiological changes. The present study examines the possibility that human males show similar physiological changes and that these are the biological basis of the couvade.