Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The study aimed to examine: (i) the extent and nature of change occurring during the transition period and parents' reactions to these changes. Particular attention was paid to economic and environmental circumstances; the division of work; and relationships with the extended family and spouse; (ii) problems and worries experienced by parents in the transition period, especially with respect to the health and management of their new child and to their own health; (iii) the availability of help and support, the use made of these various sources - both professional and informal - and satisfaction with these services; (iv) the personal resources brought by parents to the period, including prior experience of children, material possessions, attitudes to the pregnancy, ideas about appropriate parental behaviour and expectations of pregnancy, birth and parenthood; (v) the effect of sex, social class and other socio-demographic variables on these first four areas.

Main Topics:

Variables Economic and environmental circumstances (eg. income, housing); division of child-care and housework between parents; parental employment; marital relationship; relationships between parents and extended family; child health; parental health; child management problems (including feeding, sleep); contact and satisfaction with health and welfare services; contribution of formal and informal sources of support to problems; prior experience of children; expectations of pregnancy, birth and parenthood; parental characteristics, including age; occupational status/social class; level of education. Measurement Scales Scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire (cf. Goldberg, D. and Hillier, V. (1979) <i>Psychological medicine</i>, 9, 139-145).

Women who were booked-in by the twentieth week of pregnancy, were aged 20 - 34 and were born in the

Face-to-face interview