Abstract
BackgroundThe question of whether children should be told of their biological origins is one of the most controversial issues regarding the birth of children through donated eggs, sperm, embryos or surrogacy.MethodsIn the sixth phase of this longitudinal study when the children were aged 14 years, family relationships and adolescent adjustment were examined in 87 families created through reproductive donation and 54 natural conception families. The quality of family relationships was assessed by standardised interview with mothers and by standardised questionnaires and an observational measure with mothers and adolescents. Adolescent adjustment was assessed using standardised questionnaires. Systematic information on whether and when parents had told children about their biological origins was obtained at earlier phases of the study.ResultsThere were no overall differences between disclosing families and either nondisclosing or natural conception families. However, within the disclosing families, more positive family relationships and higher levels of adolescent wellbeing were found for adolescents who had been told about their biological origins before age 7.ConclusionsThe earlier children born through reproductive donation are told about their biological origins, the more positive are the outcomes in terms of the quality of family relationships and psychological wellbeing at adolescence.
Highlights
The question of whether children should be told about their biological origins remains one of the most controversial issues in the practice of reproductive donation, the collective term used to refer to the donation of eggs, sperm or embryos or the hosting of a pregnancy for another woman (Richards, Pennings, & Appleby, 2012)
The present phase involved 87 families with a child born through reproductive donation (32 families with a child born through donor insemination, families with a child born through egg donation and families with a child born through surrogacy), and a comparison group of 54 families with a naturally conceived child, representing 92% of families seen when the children were aged 10 years
There was no significant difference in age at disclosure between the different types of reproductive donation family, there was a nonsignificant trend towards earlier disclosure in the surrogacy families
Summary
The question of whether children should be told about their biological origins remains one of the most controversial issues in the practice of reproductive donation, the collective term used to refer to the donation of eggs, sperm or embryos or the hosting of a pregnancy for another woman (surrogacy) (Richards, Pennings, & Appleby, 2012). Based on research on adoption (Brodzinsky, 2006, 2011) and the family therapy literature (Imber-Black, 1998; Papp, 1993) as well as reports from donor-conceived individuals themselves (Turner & Coyle, 2000), there has been a growing shift in opinion towards the view that children born through reproductive donation should be informed of their biological origins This change in attitude towards greater openness has resulted in the removal of donor anonymity in some countries so that children born following the introduction of such legislation, and who are aware of their donor conception, may request the identity of their donor on reaching adulthood (Glennon, 2016).
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