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Follow-up study of children born to women denied abortion
Insights
Children denied abortions experienced more negative outcomes, with boys more affected than girls. These differences in development and personality became more pronounced over time, impacting their own families.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Investigating long-term effects of unwanted pregnancies.
- Examining developmental trajectories of children born after abortion refusal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare developmental outcomes of unwanted children versus control groups.
- To assess the impact of unwanted births on child development and personality.
Main Methods:
- Matched cohort study of children born after refused abortions and control children.
- Longitudinal follow-up assessments at approximately 9 years and 15 years of age.
Main Results:
- Unwanted children showed significant negative differences compared to controls.
- Boys were more adversely affected than girls.
- Differences in school achievement, personality, and parental attitudes widened over time.
Conclusions:
- Unwanted births can have lasting negative impacts on child development.
- These effects are more pronounced in boys and become more evident with age.
- Further research is examining intergenerational effects.
Abstract:
Two hundred and twenty children born in Prague in 1961-63, whose mothers had applied twice for abortion and were refused twice, were matched with children born from accepted pregnancies. The findings when the children were about nine years of age revealed some important differences unfavourable to 'unwanted children'. Boys were significantly more afflicted than girls. Both groups were examined after a further six years. Differences in school achievement, in ratings of the child's personality and in parental attitudes were more pronounced than before. The third follow-up project is under way now, with the initially unwanted children and the control group in their early 20s. Detailed examinations are being made in families that already have children, i.e. children of 'unwanted children'.