Knowing as a child that it was a surrogate pregnancy is good for the family

Children born by Assisted reproduction with the intervention of third parties have the same psychological well-being and family relationships than the rest, according to a study made over 20 years, which suggests that it is good to talk about your biological origins before going to school.

Donation of eggs, sperm or surrogacy. A study by the University of Cambridge published by Developmental Psychology followed 65 British families for two decades to find out the long-term effects of this type of conception on the upbringing and adaptation of children.

“Today there are so many families created by assisted reproduction that it seems normal”but twenty years ago, when the study started, “It was thought that having a genetic link was very important and that without it relationships would not work well”said its coordinator, Susan Golombok, of the University of Cambridge.

After two decades, the results suggest that the absence of biological connection between children and parents in assisted reproduction “it does not interfere with the development of positive relationships between them or with psychological adjustment in adulthood”highlights the university in a statement.

The research involved 22 families with children born by surrogacy, 17 by egg donation and 26 by sperm donation and compared with families that had not resorted to assisted reproduction during the same period.

These results, which found no differences in psychological well-being or the quality of family relationships with naturally born children, are consistent with previous assessments made at ages one, two, three, seven, ten, and 14. years.

The study also suggests that talking to children about their biological origins “early, before starting school, it can be advantageous for family relationships and a healthy adjustment”.

Mothers who began to tell their children about their biological origins in preschool had more positive relationships with them and also showed lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Most of the parents who had revealed it did so at the age of four and verified that the child took the news well.

In the final 20-year phase of the study, only 7% of mothers who had disclosed their child’s parentage before the age of seven reported problems in family relationships, compared with 22% of those who did so after. of that age.

Young adults who had been told their origins before that age had scores “slightly more positive” in the measures of the questionnaire of parental acceptance, communication and psychological well-being.

In addition, they were less likely to report problems on the family relations questionnaire; 12.5% ​​vs. 50%, according to the data.

“Being open with children when they are young, before they go to school, seems to have a positive effect on their conception. It is something that studies on adoptive families have also shown”Golmok says.

Egg donation mothers reported having less positive family relationships than those who had resorted to sperm donation. The researchers suggest that it could be due to the insecurity of some in the absence of a genetic connection with their child.

The data also indicated that only 42% of sperm donor parents had told their children by age 20, compared to 88% of egg donor parents and 100% of surrogacy.

Reflecting on their feelings about their biological origins, the young adults were generally indifferent, and the authors quote the response of one born by surrogacy: “It doesn’t really worry me, people are born differently and if I was born a little different, it’s okay, I understand.”

Source: EFE