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Biomedical subjects

Susan Golombok

Publications and source records attributed to Susan Golombok.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Egg donation parents and their children: follow-up at age 12 years.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of parenting and psychological adjustment of egg donation families as the child approaches adolescence in comparison with donor insemination (DI) and IVF families. DESIGN: A study of 17 egg donation families, 35 DI families, and 34 IVF families with a 12-year-old child. Standardized interview and questionnaire measures were administered to mothers and children. SETTING: Follow-up of families recruited from three assisted conception units in the United Kingdom. PATIENT(S): Mothers and their 12-year-old children conceived through egg donation, DI, and IVF. INTERVENTION(S): Mothers and children were interviewed and administered questionnaires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Parents' marital and psychological state, quality of parent-child relationships, father's contribution to parenting, and children's socioemotional development. RESULT(S): No differences were found between the egg donation and IVF families. The differences between egg donation and DI families reflected lower levels of sensitive responding of egg donation mothers toward their children compared with DI mothers. Donor insemination mothers were more likely to be emotionally over-involved with their child than egg donation mothers. The egg donation children were well adjusted in terms of their social and emotional development. CONCLUSION(S): The findings are discussed in relation to the different pattern of genetic relationships between egg donation and DI families and the secrecy surrounding the use of donated gametes to conceive a child.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Surrogacy families: parental functioning, parent-child relationships and children's psychological development at age 2.

BACKGROUND: Findings are presented of the second phase of a longitudinal study of families created through surrogacy. METHODS: At the time of the child's 2nd birthday, 37 surrogacy families were compared with 48 egg donation families and 68 natural conception families on standardised interview and questionnaire measures of the psychological well-being of the parents, parent-child relationships and the psychological functioning of the child. RESULTS: The surrogacy mothers showed more positive parent-child relationships, and the surrogacy fathers reported lower levels of parenting stress, than their natural conception counterparts. The surrogacy children did not differ from the natural conception children with respect to socio-emotional or cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS: Surrogacy does not appear to impact negatively on parenting or child development in families with 2-year-old children.

Anger↗
PubMed2005

Behavioral and cognitive development as well as family functioning of twins conceived by assisted reproduction: findings from a large population study.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the nature and extent of difficulties in parenting and child development in families with twins conceived by assisted reproduction. DESIGN: Comparisons were carried out between a representative sample of 344 families with 2- to 5-year-old twins conceived by IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and a matched comparison group of 344 families with singletons from IVF/ICSI. One twin was randomly selected for data analysis to avoid the bias associated with nonindependence of measures. SETTING: A general population sample of IVF/ICSI families. PATIENT(S): Mothers and children. INTERVENTION(S): Mothers completed a questionnaire booklet. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Standardized measures of the mother's psychological well-being (parenting stress, depression, and quality of marriage) and standardized measures of the child's psychological development (emotional/behavioral problems and cognitive development). RESULT(S): Mothers of twins showed significantly higher levels of parenting stress and depression than mothers of singletons and were significantly more likely to find parenting difficult and significantly less likely to obtain pleasure from their child. Regarding the children, there was no difference in the level of emotional or behavioral problems between twins and singletons. However, twins showed significantly lower levels of cognitive functioning. CONCLUSION(S): Greater difficulties in parenting and child development were experienced by IVF/ICSI families with twins than by IVF/ICSI families with singletons.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Unusual families.

The introduction of assisted reproduction has led to unusual forms of procreation. This article describes the social consequences of lesbian motherhood and of families headed by single heterosexual mothers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Going it alone: solo mothers and their infants conceived by donor insemination.

Findings are presented from a study of solo-mother families with an infant conceived by donor insemination (DI). Twenty-seven solo-mother DI families were compared with 50 married DI families on standardized interview and questionnaire measures of mothers' psychological well-being and the quality of parent-child relationships. Solo DI mothers showed lower levels of mother-child interaction and lower levels of sensitivity toward their infant than married DI mothers. Solo DI mothers appeared to be more open toward disclosing the donor conception to the child than were married DI mothers.

Demography↗
PubMed2004

Offspring created as a result of donor insemination: a study of family relationships, child adjustment, and disclosure.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the quality of family relationships and children's socioemotional adjustment in families created by donor insemination where parents tended either toward disclosure or nondisclosure. DESIGN: A study of 46 families with a child aged 4-8 years who was conceived through donor insemination. The study used standardized interview data from mothers and fathers, teachers, and the children themselves. SETTING: An assisted conception unit endorsing openness. PATIENT(S): Parents and their 4- to 8-year-old child conceived through donor insemination. INTERVENTION(S): Parents were interviewed, and children were administered psychological tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Interviews and questionnaires assessing the quality of the marital relationship, parent-child relationships, and child psychological adjustment. RESULT(S): Mothers from disclosing families reported significantly less frequent and less severe arguments with their children and considered their children to show a lower level of conduct problems and to be less of a strain. The disclosing parents viewed themselves as more competent at parenting. CONCLUSION(S): The differences that were identified indicated more positive parent-child relationships in the disclosing than in the nondisclosing families. However, this did not represent dysfunctional relationships in the nondisclosing families but instead reflected particularly positive ratings in the disclosing group.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Children's play narratives: what they tell us about lesbian-mother families.

Play narratives can offer a unique insight into the child's internal world. This study compared the play narratives of children in 38 lesbian-mother families; 73 two-parent, heterosexual-mother families; and 58 single-heterosexual-mother families recruited from a general population sample. Findings indicated positive mother-child relationships and well-adjusted children. Girls' narratives showed more affection than boys' and were more strongly associated with mothers' interview measures, suggesting that girls' play narratives reveal a more accurate picture of family relationships.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Families created through surrogacy arrangements: parent-child relationships in the 1st year of life.

Findings are presented of a study of families created through surrogacy arrangements. Forty-two surrogacy families were compared with 51 egg-donation families and 80 natural-conception families on standardized interview and questionnaire measures of the psychological well-being of the parents, the quality of parent-child relationships, and infant temperament. The differences that were identified between the surrogacy families and the other family types indicated greater psychological well-being and adaptation to parenthood by mothers and fathers of children born through surrogacy arrangements than by the natural-conception parents.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Parenting infants conceived by gamete donation.

In recent years, concerns have been raised regarding the potentially negative consequences of gamete donation for parent-child relationships. Findings are presented of a study of families with an infant conceived by gamete donation. Fifty donor insemination families and 51 egg donation families were compared with 80 natural conception families on standardized interview and questionnaire measures of the psychological well-being of the parents, the quality of parent-child relationships, and infant temperament. The differences that were identified indicated more positive parent-child relationships among the gamete donation than the natural conception parents, accompanied by greater emotional involvement with the child. Comparisons were also carried out between the donor insemination and the egg donation parents on their experiences of gamete donation. In contrast to the findings of earlier investigations, the donor insemination and egg donation parents appeared to be more open toward disclosing the donor conception to the child. It was concluded that infants conceived by egg or sperm donation did not appear to be at risk for parenting difficulties.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Children raised in fatherless families from infancy: a follow-up of children of lesbian and single heterosexual mothers at early adolescence.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of lesbian women and single heterosexual women are bringing up children with no male involvement. This study follows up to adolescence a sample of children raised in fatherless families from birth or early infancy. METHODS: Twenty-five lesbian mother families and 38 families headed by a single heterosexual mother were compared with 38 two-parent heterosexual families. The quality of parenting by the mother, and the social and emotional development of the child, were assessed using standardised interview and questionnaire measures administered to mothers, children and teachers. RESULTS: Children in fatherless families experienced more interaction with their mother, and perceived her as more available and dependable than their peers from father-present homes. However, there were no group differences in maternal warmth towards the children. Mothers raising their child without a father reported more severe disputes with their child than did mothers in father-present families. The children's social and emotional development was not negatively affected by the absence of a father, although boys in father-absent families showed more feminine but no less masculine characteristics of gender role behaviour. No major differences in parenting or child development were identified between families headed by lesbian and single heterosexual mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The presence or absence of a father in the home from the outset does appear to have some influence on adolescents' relationships with their mothers. However, being without a resident father from infancy does not seem to have negative consequences for children. In addition, there is no evidence that the sexual orientation of the mother influences parent-child interaction or the socioemotional development of the child.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Children with lesbian parents: a community study.

Existing research on children with lesbian parents is limited by reliance on volunteer or convenience samples. The present study examined the quality of parent-child relationships and the socioemotional and gender development of a community sample of 7-year-old children with lesbian parents. Families were recruited through the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a geographic population study of 14,000 mothers and their children. Thirty-nine lesbian-mother families, 74 two-parent heterosexual families, and 60 families headed by single heterosexual mothers were compared on standardized interview and questionnaire measures administered to mothers, co-mothers/fathers, children, and teachers. Findings are in line with those of earlier investigations showing positive mother-child relationships and well-adjusted children.

Child↗
PubMed2003

To tell or not to tell: the decision-making process of egg-donation parents.

Little research has examined the views of parents of children conceived as a result of the use of donated eggs (egg-donation parents) on whether, what and how to tell their children about the way in which they were conceived. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the pattern of disclosure in egg-donation families. A representative sample of 17 egg-donation families with a 3-8-year-old child was recruited through UK fertility clinics. All mothers were administered a standardized interview assessing the extent of their disclosure and the main reasons for their decision. Content analysis was carried out on the transcripts from the interviews with the mothers. Not one set of parents had told their child at this stage, and 47% had no intention of telling their child about the way in which they were conceived. Twenty-nine per cent intended to tell their child in the future. Nearly two-thirds had told a friend or family member. Non-disclosure largely stemmed from a desire to protect the child, a belief that there was no need to tell, and a desire to protect the mother. Reasons for intending to disclose to the child included the belief that he or she had a right to know, and to avoid disclosure from someone else. Egg-donation parents with a 3-8-year-old child appear to resemble donor insemination parents in that they tend to favour a position of non-disclosure. The findings demonstrate the importance of understanding the views of egg-donation parents themselves, if openness is to be encouraged in these families.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Surrogacy: the experience of commissioning couples.

BACKGROUND: Findings are presented of a study of families with a child created through a surrogacy arrangement. This paper focuses on the commissioning couples' reports of their experiences. METHODS: A total of 42 couples with a 1-year-old child born through surrogacy were assessed using a standardized semi-structured interview. Data were obtained on motivations for surrogacy, details about the surrogate mother, experience of surrogacy during pregnancy and after birth and disclosure of the surrogacy to friends and family. RESULTS: Couples had considered surrogacy only after a long period of infertility or when it was the only option available. Couples retrospectively recalled their levels of anxiety throughout the pregnancy as low, and relationships between the couple and the surrogate mother were found to be generally good. This was the case regardless of whether or not the couple had known the surrogate mother prior to the arrangement. After the birth of the child, positive relations continued with the large majority of couples maintaining some level of contact with the surrogate mother. All couples had told family and friends about the surrogacy and were planning to tell the child. CONCLUSIONS: Commissioning couples generally perceived the surrogacy arrangement as a positive experience.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Surrogacy: the experiences of surrogate mothers.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the motivations, experiences and psychological consequences of surrogacy for surrogate mothers. METHODS: Thirty-four women who had given birth to a surrogate child approximately 1 year previously were interviewed by trained researchers, and the data rated using standardized coding criteria. Information was obtained on: (i) reasons for the woman's decision to become a surrogate mother; (ii) her retrospective view of the relationship with the commissioning couple before the pregnancy, during the pregnancy, and after the birth; (iii) her experiences during and after relinquishing the child; and (iv) how others reacted to her decision to become a surrogate mother. RESULTS: It was found that surrogate mothers do not generally experience major problems in their relationship with the commissioning couple, in handing over the baby, or from the reactions of those around them. The emotional problems experienced by some surrogate mothers in the weeks following the birth appeared to lessen over time. CONCLUSIONS: Surrogate mothers do not appear to experience psychological problems as a result of the surrogacy arrangement.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Practitioner review: outcomes for parents and children following non-traditional conception: what do clinicians need to know?

BACKGROUND: The birth of the first 'test-tube' baby in 1978 has led to the creation of family types that would not otherwise have existed. METHODS: This paper examines research on the psychological outcomes for parents and children in assisted reproduction families with particular attention to the issues and concerns that have been raised by creating families in this way. RESULTS: Parents of children conceived by assisted reproduction appear to have good relationships with their children, even in families where one parent lacks a genetic link with the child. With respect to the children themselves, there is no evidence of cognitive impairment in singleton children born at full term as a result of assisted reproduction procedures, although the findings regarding the cognitive development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) children are currently unclear. In relation to socioemotional development, assisted reproduction children appear to be functioning well. CONCLUSIONS: Few studies have included children at adolescence or beyond, and little is known about the consequences of conception by assisted reproduction from the perspective of the individuals concerned. In addition, there are some types of assisted reproduction family, such as families created through a surrogacy arrangement or through embryo donation, about whom little is known at all. Although existing knowledge about the impact of assisted reproduction for parenting and child development does not give undue cause for concern, there remain a number of unanswered questions in relation to children born in this way.

Adaptation, Psychological↗