Children of single mothers by choice show favorable birth outcomes

The children of single mothers who conceive through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) have similar outcomes to babies of partnered mothers who had conceived naturally, a UCL-led study has found.

Babies of single-mothers-by-choice were also less likely to have low birth weight or to be born pre-term compared to babies of single mothers who conceived naturally as well as children of partnered mothers who had conceived with MAR techniques such as IVF.

Co-author Professor Alice Goisis (UCL Social Research Institute) said: "While single-mothers-by-choice tend to be older than other mums and may experience higher levels of stress during conception and pregnancy, these women typically have higher levels of education, income and have strong fertility intentions – factors which are strongly associated with more favorable birth outcomes.

"Crucially, unlike partnered women who use IVF because they have difficulty conceiving, single-mothers-by-choice are far less likely to have underlying fertility problems that are themselves a known risk factor for adverse birth outcomes, which may partly explain the differences observed."

These findings align with Professor Goisis's research showing that groups who use MAR without fertility problems, such as lesbian couples, have birth outcomes similar to those who conceive without medical intervention.

"As more and more people delay not just parenthood, but also partnership, single-motherhood-by-choice is likely to become more common. It is crucial that we better understand its impact on children's health outcomes."

Source:

University College London

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