Psychological development of children of the new reproductive technologies: Issues and a pilot study of children conceived by IVF

Abstract

In recent years a growing number of children have been conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination by donor (AID). Issues raised by the new reproductive technologies for the development of the children are discussed. The investigation focuses on the social, emotional and psychosexual as well as the cognitive development of children conceived by IVF, and is a pilot study for a large, controlled investigation of the psychological development of children of the new reproductive technologies. Twenty-six children were included in the study (17 boys and 9 girls), aged between 2 years 8 months and 5 years 0 months. Each family was visited at home by a psychologist where the Schedule of Growing Skills, the Pre-School Behaviour Checklist and the Pre-School Activities Inventory were administered. From the findings of this pilot study, it seems that children conceived by IVF are making good developmental progress. With respect to behavioural and emotional problems, the IVF children showed a higher incidence of such problems than a normal population sample of children attending a nursery class, and were comparable to children at social services day nurseries, most of whom showed some difficult behaviours. It is argued that there is a need for large, systematic and controlled studies of the social and emotional development of children of the new reproductive technologies.