Paternity acknowledgment in 2 million birth records from Michigan

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Demography
• Public Health

Background:

• Out-of-wedlock childbearing is a growing trend in the U.S.
• Increasingly, fathers are identified for non-marital births, establishing legal child support entitlements.
• Limited data exists on the determinants of paternity establishment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the determinants and outcomes associated with paternity establishment for non-marital births.
• To analyze trends in paternity acknowledgement using a comprehensive dataset.
• To investigate factors influencing the decision to establish paternity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Michigan birth records from 1993 to 2006.
• Merged birth records with the state's paternity registry.
• Analyzed health and socio-economic outcomes based on marital status and paternity acknowledgement.

Main Results:

• In 2006, paternity was acknowledged for nearly a quarter of Michigan births to unmarried mothers.
• Births with acknowledged paternity showed improved health and socio-economic outcomes compared to those without acknowledgement.
• These outcomes, however, remained less favorable than for births within marriage.
• Fathers of sons were significantly more likely to acknowledge paternity than fathers of daughters.

Conclusions:

• Paternity acknowledgement for non-marital births is a significant demographic event with implications for child welfare.
• While acknowledgement improves outcomes relative to unacknowledged births, disparities persist compared to married-parent families.
• The gender of the child influences paternity establishment decisions, suggesting complex social dynamics at play.