Parental Attitudes and Socio-Emotional Development in Children Born after ICSI

Czech version

Authors: D. Krejčířová ^1,2; D. Sobotková ³; M. Šnajderová ^2,4; T. Mardešić ^2,5; J. Kraus ⁶; D. Zemková ⁴; V. Gregor ^2,7; A. Šípek ^3,8; V. Lánská ⁹
Authors‘ workplace: Oddělení klinické psychologie FTN, Praha, ředitel MUDr. K. Filip, CSc., MBA ¹; Institut postgraduálního vzdělávání ve zdravotnictví, Praha, ředitel MUDr. Z. Hadra ²; Ústav pro péči o matku a dítě, Praha, ředitel doc. MUDr. J. Feyereisl, CSc. ³; Pediatrická klinika 2. LF UK a FN Motol, Praha, přednosta prof. MUDr. J Lebl., CSc. ⁴; Sanatorium Pronatal, Praha, vedoucí lékař doc. MUDr. T. Mardešić, CSc. ⁵; Dětská neurologická klinika 2. LF UK a FN Motol, Praha, přednosta doc. MUDr. V. Komárek, CSc. ⁶; Oddělení klinické genetiky, FTN, Praha, ředitel MUDr. K. Filip, CSc., MBA ⁷; 3. LF UK, Praha, děkan doc. B. Svoboda, CSc. ⁸; Oddělení statistiky, IKEM, Praha, ředitel doc. MUDr. J. Malý, CSc. ⁹
Published in: Ceska Gynekol 2008; 73(1): 10-15

Overview

Objective:
To analyze parental attitudes and socio-emotional development of children conceived by ICSI.

Design:
Open cross-sectional study.

Setting:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Thomayer University Hospital, Prague and Department of Paediatrics, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, University Hospital-Motol, Prague.

Methods:
133 children (75 boys, 58 girls) conceived by ICSI, age ranged from 11 months to 8.5 years were psychologically assessed between the years 2004-2006. Children’s behavior was evaluated by 4 rating scales during the assessment. Parents answered questionnaires concerning children’s temperament, behavioral problems (TBC) and the parental attitudes questionnaire (PARQ).

Results:
Children’s behavior during the psychological assessment was rated mostly as very good or good, although the children were often less communicative. Most of the children have mixed or easy temperament, a difficult type of temperament didn’t report any of the parents. Most of the parents didn’t describe significant behavioral problems in their children, in particular there were very few externalizing difficulties (opposition, aggression), but in 29.5% of the sample, there were found some social or emotional difficulties. We found surprisingly high frequency of milder forms of autism spectrum disorders and another social problems (social and other anxiety disorders) in the sample, other psychopathology was rare. Parental attitudes had a tendency to grater involvement with the child and high affection in relation with him.

Conclusion:
Socio-emotional development of ICSI children is good, although some have specific social difficulties, externalising problems were present only exceptionally. Parental attitudes toward ICSI children are positive, there is slight tendency to higher emotional involvement with the child.

Key words:
intracytoplasmic sperm injection, temperament, socio-emotional development, psychopathology, parental attitudes

Sources

1. Barnes, J., Sutcliffe, AG., Kristoffersen, L., et al. The influence of assisted reproduction on family functioning and children’s socio-emotional development: result from a European study. Hum Reprod, 2004, 19, p. 1480-1487.

2. DiLalla, LF. Social development of Twins. Twins Res Genet, 2006, 9, p. 95-102.

3. Erikson, EH. Childhood and society, 2nd.ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 1963.

4. Fisher-Jefes, LJ., Banerjee, I., Sutcliffe, AR. Parents’concern regarding their ART children. Reproduction, 2006, 131, p. 389-394.

5. Gibson, FL., Ungerer, JA., McMahon, CA., et al. The mother-child relationshop following in vitro fertilisation (IVF): Infant attachement, responsivity and maternal sensitivity. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2000, 41, p. 1015-1023.

6. Golombok, S., MacCallum, F. Practitioner Review: Outcomes for parents and children following non-traditional conception: what do clinicians need to know? J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2003, 44, 3, p. 303-315.

7. Larzelere, RE., Martin, JA., Amberson, TG. The Toddler Behavior Checklist: A parent-completed assessment of social-emotional characteristics of young preschoolers. Family Relations, 1989, 38, p. 418-425.

8. Mainburg, RD., Vaeth, M. Do children born after assisted conception have less risk of developing infantile autism? Hum Reprod, 2007, 22, p. 1841-1843.

9. Matějček, Z., Vágnerová, M. Rohnerovy dotazníky rodinných vztahů. Ostrava, Mikrodata, 1992.

10. McMahon, CA., Ungerer, JA., Tennant, C., Saunders, D. Psychological adjustment and the quality of the mother-child relationship at four months postpartum after conception by in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril, 1997, 68, p. 492-500.

11. Papaligoura, Z., Panopoulou-Maratou, O., Solman, M., et al. Cognitive development of 12 month old Greek infants conceived after ICSI and the effects of the method on their parents. Hum Reprod, 2004, 9, 6, p. 1488-1493.

12. Pinborg, A., Loft, A., Schmidt, L., et al. Morbidity in a Danish national cohort of 472 IVF/ICSI twins, 1132 non-IVF/ICSI twins, and 634 IVF/ICSI singletons: health-related and social implications for the children and their families. Hum. Reprod., 2003, 18, 6, p. 1234-1243.

13. Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, I., Bonduelle, M., Barnes, J., et al. International Collaborative study of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Conceived, in Vitro Fertilization-Conceived, and Naturally Conceived 5-Year-Old Child Outcomes: Cognitive and Motor Assessments. Pediatrics, 2005, 115, p. e283-e289.

14. Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, I., Tjus, T., Nikkebroek, J., et al. Psychological follow-up study of 5 year-old ICSI children. Hum Reprod, 2004, 19, 12, p. 2791-2797.

15. Stein, D., Weisman, A., Ring, A., et al. Obstetric complication in individuals diagnosed with autism and in healthy controls. Compr Psychiatry, 2006, 47, p. 69-75.

16. Sutcliffe, AG., Saunders, K., McLachlan, R., Taylor, B., et al. A retrospective case-control study of developmental and other outcomes in a cohort of Australien children concieved by intracytoplasmic sperm injection compared with a similar group in the United Kingdom. Fertil Steril, 2003, 79, 3, p. 512-516.

17. Thomas, A., Chess, S. Temperament and development. New York, Bruner/Mazel, 1977.

18. Thorpe, K., Dandy, S. Compromised or Competent: Analizing Twin Children’s Social Worlds. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 2006, 9, 1, p. 90-94.