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Parenting and psychosocial development of IVF children: a follow-up study
1Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, Centre for Family Pedagogy, Leuven, Belgium. hilde.colpin@ped.kuleuven.ac.be
Insights
Children conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) show no significant differences in psychosocial development or parenting compared to naturally conceived children. Long-term studies confirm positive outcomes for IVF families.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Follow-up study investigating parent-child dynamics and child psychosocial development in families with children conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Pilot study compared 31 IVF families and 31 naturally conceived families at child age 2; 27 IVF and 23 control families re-participated at child age 8-9.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess long-term psychosocial development in children conceived via IVF.
- To compare parent-child relationships and parenting variables between IVF and naturally conceived families.
Main Methods:
- Parental questionnaires assessed parenting behaviors, stress, and goals.
- Child behavior was rated by parents and, for most, by teachers.
- Longitudinal comparison of families from infancy to middle childhood.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in child behavior, parenting, or parenting stress between IVF and control groups.
- Parenting goal adjustment was more critical for IVF fathers; religion was more important for IVF mothers.
- Informing children about IVF conception correlated with observed internalizing behaviors in children.
Conclusions:
- Parenting and psychosocial development are comparable between children conceived via IVF and those conceived naturally.
- Disclosure of IVF conception to children may influence parental perception of child behavior.
Background:
This report details a follow-up study of the parent-child relationship and the child's psychosocial development after IVF. The pilot study compared 31 IVF families and 31 families with a naturally conceived child when the children were aged 2 years. Twenty-seven IVF and 23 control families participated again when the children were aged 8-9 years.
Methods:
Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires assessing parenting variables and the child's behaviour. For most children, behavioural ratings were also obtained from the child's teacher.
Results:
No significant differences were found between IVF and control parents' reports of child behaviour, parenting behaviour, parenting stress and most of the parenting goals. The parenting goal adjustment was significantly more important for IVF than for control fathers; religion was more important for IVF than for naturally conceiving mothers. Teacher ratings of the child's behaviour did not differ significantly between the IVF and control groups. All couples but one had talked to other persons about the IVF conception; 75% of the IVF parents had not yet informed their children. IVF parents who had informed their child observed more (internalizing and for fathers also overall) problem behaviours in their child, compared with IVF parents who had not yet disclosed the IVF conception.
Conclusions:
Parenting and the children's psychosocial development do not differ significantly between IVF families and control families.