[Parental attitudes and socio-emotional development in children born after ICSI]

To analyze parental attitudes and socio-emotional development of children conceived by ICSI.

Open cross-sectional study.

Department of Clinical Psychology, Thomayer University Hospital, Prague and Department of Paediatrics, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, University Hospital-Motol, Prague.

133 children (75 boys, 58 girls) conceived by ICSI, age ranged from 11 months to 8.5 years were psychologically assessed between the years 2004-2006. Children's behavior was evaluated by 4 rating scales during the assessment. Parents answered questionnaires concerning children's temperament, behavioral problems (TBC) and the parental attitudes questionnaire (PARQ).

Children's behavior during the psychological assessment was rated mostly as very good or good, although the children were often less communicative. Most of the children have mixed or easy temperament, a difficult type of temperament didn't report any of the parents. Most of the parents didn't describe significant behavioral problems in their children, in particular there were very few externalizing difficulties (opposition, aggression), but in 29.5% of the sample, there were found some social or emotional difficulties. We found surprisingly high frequency of milder forms of autism spectrum disorders and another social problems (social and other anxiety disorders) in the sample, other psychopathology was rare. Parental attitudes had a tendency to grater involvement with the child and high affection in relation with him.

Socio-emotional development of ICSI children is good, although some have specific social difficulties, externalising problems were present only exceptionally. Parental attitudes toward ICSI children are positive, there is slight tendency to higher emotional involvement with the child.