The authors describe four cases in which men developed emotional
illnesses related to their wives' pregnancies. In all of the cases, the
patients had experienced sibling rivalry at a significant time in their
lives. This factor seemed to be more important dynamically in understanding
their feelings about fatherhood than previously proposed factors, such as
envy of the wife's childbearing capacity, dependence on the wife, and
neurotic conflict with the oedipal father. The authors suggest that in men
with neuroses, the issue of sibling rivalry is an important determinant of
reactions to fatherhood.Abstract Teaser