Review: Psychosocial well-being of parents and their children born after assisted reproduction

Objective: To critically review the empirical literature published from 198 0 through June 2000 on the psychosocial well-being of parents and their chi ldren born after assisted reproduction. Methods: A computer-based literature search of PsycINFO and Medline was con ducted. Empirical studies were reviewed to document the psychosocial impact of infertility and its treatment on the families involved in terms of qual ity of parenting, family functioning, and child development. Results: Several common findings appeared across the studies reviewed. With regard to quality of parenting and family functioning, mothers of children born using assisted reproduction report less parenting stress and more pos itive mother- and father-child relationships than mothers of naturally conc eived children. In most cases, no statistically significant differences in child functioning in terms of emotions, behavior, self-esteem, or perceptio ns of family relationship have been reported. Conclusions: The summary findings are positive and reassuring for parents a nd their children born after assisted reproduction. This critique of the pu blished literature provides interpretative and methodological refinements f or future research.