Marital change during the transition to parenthood

An ecological conceptual framework that supports the interdependence of the marital and the parent-child relationships is used to guide this discussion of the determinants of marital change during the transition to parenthood. New parents are at risk of experiencing increased marital conflict after the birth of their infant, which is associated with negative developmental outcomes for their children. Descriptive questions that pediatric nurses can ask both parents in assessing marital satisfaction and suggestions for interventions to ease the stresses of the transition for parents are presented.