Since in vitro fertilization was introduced, the important evolutions performed in assisted fertilization technologies have led to the creation of some family types that would not otherwise be existed.
In the event of artificial fertilization, in fact, the child can be genetically related to both parents or, depending on the use of the egg and/or the donated sperm, with one of the two or with neither of the two.
In the last case, unlike adoption, the couple can experience the experience of pregnancy (possibilities not without important psychological implications for both the mother and the child himself) and therefore develop a relationship with the child starting from birth.
The creation of these new types of families requires asking important questions about the psychological consequences for the child. The social context of families has also been the subject of increasing attention in recent years and have been investigated in particular the processes in the social environment that can influence family relationships.
It is important to remember in this regard that there may be negative attitudes towards new assisted fertilization technologies, which can sometimes be judged immoral or unnatural. Consequently, families with children born in the test tube are possible to clash with an open prejudice not only from the enlarged community but also of their own relatives or friends.
Psychological research has however allowed us to get in touch with the emotional experiences of couples who face the medically assisted procreation path (PMA) and also of the parents who conceived through the PMA techniques.
There are international longitudinal studies that aim to study the relationship between parents and children and the socio-emotional development of children born in a test tube (also through a heterologous fertilization with donation of gametes outside the couple), compared to control groups of families with children conceived naturally and with adopted children.
The usefulness of these studies is given by the fact that there are no empirical data that reveal any and real consequences for these families, directly attributable to their reproductive choices.
The results of longitudinal studies on children at 3, 7 and 10 years are encouraging: the subjects involved present scores in the stairs of emotional symptoms, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, quality of equal relationships and prosocial behaviors (Golombok et al. J ChiD Psychol psychiatry, 2013).
At all ages, no difficulties in the climate and warmth of the parental relationship emerge, there are no differences in the game time, the mothers manage to respond to the needs of the child and a particular conflict does not emerge. The levels of mother-child relationships are similar between families conceived thanks to donation of the gametes and children naturally conceived.
As the only difference, a greater distress is highlighted in mothers who did not tell the son on their origins than those that dealt with the topic. It is believed that the secret that surrounds the donation of the egg or sperm, could undermine family relationships and ensure that children conceived with gamete donation feel confused about their identity; Furthermore, keeping the origins of the child secret is the cause of anxiety when there is discussion of topics related to fertilization.
If the child born with artificial fertilization must know or not of his genetic origins, he still remains one of the most burning ethical issues open by artificial fertilization.
Research therefore showed that the children conceived by donation of gametes have a good physical and psychological development and even the parental relationship has not affected; In addition, psychological stability in couples who have had children through gamets donation does not present particular problems.
The scientific literature shows that if the couple has matured with safety and serenity the choice to undertake a heterologous treatment, the problems that can occur are the same that appear in couples who have conceived in the traditional way.
Through longitudinal studies it is noted that families who have resorted to heterologous fertilization to have a child do not highlight quality problems in the parent-child relationship, of psychological well-being of parents and emotional development of the child.
Scientific research, therefore, exclude the possibility that there is a negative effect on the quality of the relationship between parents and children, in the absence of a genetic bond, especially if there is a peaceful climate of acceptance of the method of conception and you also get to share it. However, the risks related to the parental age and to an early loss of the reference figures for the child must be assessed.
There are also increasingly consistent empirical tests that demonstrate how the child’s socio-emotional development course is closely linked to the quality of attachment relationships towards his parents and according to the attachment theory, it is the type of response of the parents and not their being biologically related to the child to be decisive for the development of safe attachment relationships.
Recent studies emerge that the mothers of children conceived through assisted fertilization express more warmth towards their children, are more emotionally involved with their children, interact more with them and report less stress associated with their motherhood than the group of mothers who have conceived their children naturally. Similarly, assisted fertilization fathers interact more with their children and contribute more to the quality of the parenting than the fathers of children conceived naturally. A significant difference does not seem to emerge in the quality of parenting according to the type of fertilization used.
A further proof of the fact that the lack of a genetic bond between one or both parents and the child has no particular negative consequences in the family-child relationship, it comes from the discovery that adoptive families are similar to those from assisted fertilization compared to parenting models. The only exception found lies in the greater contribution to the discipline of children by adoptive fathers compared to those with assisted fertilization.
Where differences have been detected in relation to the emotional well -being of the parents, these differences reflect a better psychological adaptation between the mothers of children from assisted fertilization and greater marital satisfaction between the adoptive mothers.
As regards the same children, no group of group differences have been noticed as regards the presence of children’s psychological disorders. The few exceptions are almost entirely associated with the psychological state of parents rather than the quality of family relationships.
In conclusion, the various research indicates that the development of children is globally in the norm and there is generally a good attitude of parents to carrying out their role.
In parallel, however, much of the international research notes that the elaboration of the parental path, through the experience of infertility and the PMA path, appears more complex and delicate, is individually for fathers and mothers, and for the couple and therefore it can need a targeted psychological support in this delicate passage.
