In vitro fertilization and the family: quality of parenting, family functioning, and child psychosocial adjustment.
This study examined associations between homologous in vitro fertilization (IVF) and quality of parenting, family functioning, and emotional and behavioral adjustment of 3-7-year-old children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Taiwan with 54 IVF mother-child pairs and 59 mother-child pairs with children conceived naturally. IVF mothers reported a greater level of protectiveness toward their children than control mothers. Teachers, blind to condition, rated IVF mothers as displaying greater warmth but not overprotective or intrusive parenting behaviors toward their children. Teachers scored children of IVF as having fewer behavioral problems than control children. In contrast, IVF mothers reported less satisfaction with aspects of family functioning. Family composition moderated parenting stress: IVF mothers with only 1 child perceived less parenting stress than did those in the control group.
Hahn
C S
CS
Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA. hahnc@mail.nih.gov
DiPietro
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013624:Taiwan