Assisted conception for single mothers by choice yields comparable birth outcomes
The children of single mothers who conceive through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) have birth outcomes similar to those of babies born to partnered mothers who conceived naturally, a UCL-led study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has found.
A recent study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology reveals that children born to single mothers who conceive through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) have similar birth outcomes to those of babies born to partnered mothers who conceived naturally. Conducted by a team from UCL, the research analyzed data from over 500,000 firstborn babies in Finland between 1996 and 2020.
The study found that MAR usage in pregnancies was 7.8%, with 5.4% of these births involving single mothers. After accounting for various maternal characteristics and multiple births, the birth outcomes for children of single mothers by choice were largely comparable to those of babies born to partnered mothers who conceived without MAR.
The researchers suggest that the higher likelihood of single mothers by choice being older, more educated, and having strong fertility intentions may contribute to the observed similarities in birth outcomes.
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