Prenatal co-parenting alliance in couples with spontaneous or medically assisted conception.

Studies have shown that the quality of the prenatal coparenting alliance, in particular, the aspects of parental cooperation, warmth, and intuitive parenting behaviors are predictors of the family's postnatal interactive functioning at 3 (Carneiro et al., 2006), 9 and 18 months after birth (Favez, et al., 2006). These results suggest that the patterns of coparenting are established during pregnancy (Fivaz-Depeursinge, et al., 2010; Carneiro et al., 2006). In this perspective, the research have studied three different groups of first-time parents: a group of 90 Italian couples and a group of 49 Swiss couples who conceived spontaneously; a group of 33 Swiss couples who conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The aims of the study are: a) to test the different characteristics and the quality of the prenatal coparenting alliance in the three groups; and b) to compare the marital satisfaction in the three groups. Method: the triadic interactions have been studied through the prenatal Lausanne Trilogue Play (prenatal LTP; Corboz-Warnery, Fivaz-Depeursinge, 2001) and the degree of Marital Adjustment have been investigated by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale questionnaire (DAS; Spanier, 1976) administered to mothers and fathers. Results: a) the ANOVA applied at the global score of LTP procedure does not highlight significant differences between the three studied samples (F(2,171) = .21, p = .810 n.s.): this result show a general statistical homogeneity in the quality of the coparenting in pregnancy in these different populations of future parents; b) the ANOVA applied at the global score of DAS questionnaire highlights significant differences between the three studied samples (F(2,171) = 4.05, p = .019): the mothers of the infertile group perceive their marital satisfaction as more satisfying than mothers in the Swiss control group.