CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTITUDES OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN BORN WITH THE USE OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Objective: To explore the medical issues, attitudes, concerns, and cho ices that parents have about their children born with the use of assis ted reproductive technology (ART). Design: Retrospective and prospecti ve survey. Setting: An academic medical center and a private practice. Patient(s): Participants who conceived and were delivered of infants in two ART programs. Intervention(s): A total of 373 patients were mai led an anonymous survey, a consent form, and the Parent Child Relation ship Inventory. The rate of response was approximately 49% for clinic A and 33% for clinic B. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy outcomes an d attitudes about parenting, Result(s): Respondents' major concerns du ring pregnancy revolved around miscarriage and the infant's health; co mplications occurred in 38.9% of first pregnancies. Parents believed t hat their children were more appreciated, that their children were not emotionally different, that ART did not create ongoing medical or emo tional problems, and they were not overprotective as parents. Gender d ifferences were statistically significant on attitudinal variables. Co nclusion(s): Parents had concerns about pregnancy. Overall, men and wo men felt positive about ART and their parenting. The ART experience is associated with complex choices, attitudes, and emotions. (Fertil Ste ril(R) 1998;70:860-5. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Me dicine.).