Introduction Considering the important role of education in promoting parents’ attachment to the infant, temporal and spatial limitations, and the need to use new educational methods for spouses’ participation in childbirth preparation classes, the present study was conducted to compare the effect of in-person and virtual prenatal care education of the spouses of primiparous women on the father and mother’s attachment to the infant. Methods This is a quasi-experimental clinical trial that was conducted on primiparous pregnant women referring to three prenatal clinics in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was done by continuous method and pregnant women were divided into three groups of face-to-face education (n = 28), virtual education (n = 31), and control (n = 29). The content of the training program in the virtual and face-to-face groups was similar, which was presented in 4 sessions. At 18–20 weeks of gestation, demographic characteristics and pregnancy records were obtained from the samples, and 12 weeks after the delivery, maternal postnatal attachment scale, and postnatal paternal-infant attachment questionnaire were completed. Both intention-to-treat analysis and per-protocol analysis were performed. Results There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of in-person education and control, and also virtual education and control for both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis (p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups of in-person and virtual education. Results showed a large and medium effect size between the two groups of in-person education and control, and virtual education and control in terms of father-infant attachment score, respectively. There was also no statistically significant difference between the three groups after the educational intervention in terms of the mother-infant attachment score for both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. Conclusion Considering that education by both in-person and virtual methods had the same effect on improving the score of father-infant attachment, it is suggested that to increase the participation of spouses of pregnant women in the process of prenatal care, the spouses of pregnant women should have the option of virtual education in addition to in-person training. Trial registration TCTR.ir TCTR20200515011. Registered on May 12, 2020.

Background. Men have a special role to play in promoting maternal and child health during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period. The health of women also requires the participation and cooperation of men. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of virtual and face-to-face childbirth preparation training for spouses of the primiparous women on the pregnancy experience, fear of childbirth (FOC), and mother- and father-infant attachment. Methods. The primiparous women attending the prenatal clinics of Lolagar Hospital and Azadi and Tehransar health centers of Tehran along with their husbands will be studied. The inclusion criteria for the women’s husbands are the first experience of becoming a father, being at least 18 years of age, and the ability to read and write. The exclusion criteria for women’s husbands are the history of physical/mental illness; being a smoker; and consuming alcohol, drugs, or psychotropic substances. The participants will be selected by the convenience sampling method and will be divided into three groups of study A, study B, and control. Spouses in study groups A and B will receive childbirth training through virtual and face-to-face methods with similar content, respectively. The control group only receives ordinary prenatal care. At the 18–20 weeks of gestation, demographic information, pregnancy experience scale (PES), and version A of Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaire (WDEQ-A) will be completed. At 37-38 weeks of gestation, the PES and WDEQ-A questionnaires will be completed again and maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and postnatal paternal-infant attachment questionnaire (PPAQ) will be completed by the parents 12 weeks after the delivery. Discussion. Improving the experience of pregnancy, especially reducing the FOC and creating a positive attitude towards it, is a vital strategy to promote vaginal childbirth and reduce the number of cesarean sections requested by women. Achieving this will reduce the cost of health care and improve the quality of life during pregnancy, after childbirth, and during the growth and development of infants. Ethics and Dissemination. This research has been funded by the Iran University of Medical Sciences, approved by the Thailand Registry of Clinical Trials, and will commence in May 2020. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and shared with the academic and medical community to pregnancy and childbirth outcomes. This trial is registered with TCTR20200515011.

Introduction The spouse has a special role in promoting the health of mothers and infants during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Women's health during pregnancy requires the participation and cooperation of their spouses. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of face-to-face and virtual prenatal care training of spouses on the pregnancy experience and fear of childbirth of primiparous women. Methods This is a quasi-experimental clinical trial that was conducted on primiparous pregnant women referring to three prenatal clinics in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was done by available method and pregnant women were divided into three groups of face-to-face training ( n = 35), virtual training ( n = 35), and control ( n = 33). The content of training program in the virtual and face-to-face groups was similar and included; nutrition during pregnancy, emotional support, fetal growth and development, advantages and disadvantages of vaginal delivery, planning for delivery, infant care, and danger signs for infants, which were presented in four sessions. The samples in the control group did not receive any training. In the 18th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, the demographic information form, pregnancy experience scale, and version A of the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaires were completed, and once again in the 37th and 38th weeks of pregnancy, the pregnancy experience scale and version A of the Wijma delivery expectancy/experience questionnaires were completed. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the mean score of pregnancy experience after the intervention between the face-to-face training and control groups ( p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the mean score of uplifts between the two groups of face-to-face training and control ( p = 0.01), and also between virtual training and control groups ( p = 0.02). There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of face-to-face training and control in terms of and hassles score after the intervention ( p = 0.04). There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of face-to-face training and control ( p = 0.02) and also between virtual training and control ( p = 0.04) in terms of the mean score of fear of childbirth after the intervention. Conclusion The results of this study showed that teaching prenatal care to spouses of primiparous women by face-to-face and virtual methods can be a useful intervention in improving the pregnancy experience and reducing the fear of childbirth among primiparous women.