Boosting new dads’ confidence in caring for their newborn babies could be the key to creating healthier, happier families, say the creators of a unique early parenting program developed by the University of Melbourne.

The University is currently trialling the PEPP (Parent Education Program for the Primparae): Living well with a first baby program at seven locations around Victoria and researchers hope similar programs will ultimately be offered by maternal and child health services statewide.

More than 150 dads have been involved so far and researchers say the feedback has been very enthusiastic.

The program was developed by Associate Professor Jane Fisher and Dr Heather Rowe, from the University of Melbourne’s Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society.

Associate Professor Fisher says PEPP covers two aspects of life with a first baby that are not addressed specifically in existing services.

“It provides skills to manage infant crying, which all parents find distressing, and looks at ways parents can take up their new roles without arguing,’’ she says.

Associate Professor Fisher says research has shown that an encouraging partner who is actively involved in infant care and household life is one of the most important factors in protecting the health of a new mum.

“Our messages are that families thrive when babies experience confident care from both parents and when the workload is shared fairly,’ she says.

“Most early parenting programs just target new mums. The mums are given all the information and expected just to pass it on to dads.

“We are aiming to help mothers and fathers work together as a unit by practising cooperative ways to tackle the challenges of parenting from the beginning of the babies’ lives,’’ she says.

“It’s not as simple as saying that each partner has to do an equal number of nappy changes – but looking at how much the unpaid work increases after the birth of a baby and how this is going to be shared in ways that feel fair.”

Associate Professor Fisher says traditionally some baby care information is included in classes before babies are born – but information and opportunities to learn are actually needed much more after the baby is born.

“Our approach is to provide opportunities for parents to practise soothing strategies with their own baby, rather than watching a video of someone else’s baby or reading a pamphlet,” she says.

Associate Professor Fisher and Dr Rowe developed PEPP after doing extensive research into the difficulties which parents admitted to early parenting centres, such as sleep schools, are having.

“Severe occupational fatigue is widespread in parents of a new baby and often underestimated,’’ Associate Professor Fisher says.

“You would never let anyone fly a plane with the levels of fatigue that we have measured in our research, but you cannot have a rostered day off from baby care.

“We hope that we can prevent some of these by giving parents information and new skills and knowledge early before problems develop,’’ she says.

As part of the research, the experiences of parents who have taken part in PEPP will be compared to those who have received standard parenting advice.