Children of the new reproductive technologies: social and genetic parenthood.

Objective: To review empirical studies on families created by new reproductive technologies (NRT) in which only one parent has a genetic link to the child.

Methodology: Literature search was conducted among computerized databases. Inclusion criteria were that studies should focus on childrearing or parenting, as well as on the psychological adjustment of children in: heterosexual families formed through artificial insemination with donated semen (AID), single-mother AID families, oocyte-donation families, planned lesbian-mother families, planned gay-father families, and partial surrogacy families.

Family relationships and the psychosocial adjustment of school-aged children in intact families.

The authors investigated whether the quality of three family relationships (i.e., marital, parent-child, sibling) in intact families are associated with each other and with children's psychosocial adjustment.

The Impact of Having a Baby on the Level and Content of Women's Well-Being.

The primary objective of this study was to more fully understand the impact of having a baby on women's well-being by attending to both the level and the content of well-being. To cover the judgemental and affective aspects of well-being we included global measures of life satisfaction and well-being and affective experience measures derived from the day reconstruction method. In a sample of 19 first-time mothers no differences between pre and postnatal reports of general life satisfaction, depression, anxiety, and experienced positive and negative affect were found, suggesting that the arrival of the newborn baby does not universally impact on women's level of well-being.

Experience as a doctor in the developing world: does it benefit the clinical and organisational performance in general practice?

Background: Many physicians have medical experience in developing countries early in their career, but its association with their medical performance later is not known. To explore possible associations we compared primary care physicians (GPs) with and without professional experience in a developing country in performance both clinical and organisational.

Methods: A retrospective survey using two databases to analyse clinical and organisational performance respectively.

The experiences of involuntarily childless Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands.

The consequences of involuntary childlessness are influenced by culture in several ways. In this study we explored the experiences and responses of infertile Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with involuntarily childless Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands (11 couples and 9 women).

The USA National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS): homophobia, psychological adjustment, and protective factors.

The study assessed the influence of protective factors on the psychological adjustment of children who had experienced homophobia and whose mothers were participants in a longitudinal study of planned lesbian families. Data were collected as part of the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study by interviewing the children and having the mothers complete questionnaires. No significant differences were found in the psychological adjustment of children in the present study and their age-matched peers in a U.

Children in planned lesbian families: a cross-cultural comparison between the United States and the Netherlands.

A total of 78 planned lesbian families in the United States were compared with 74 planned lesbian families in the Netherlands. Children were interviewed about disclosure to peers about living in a lesbian family and about their experiences of homophobia; mothers filled out the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results showed that Dutch children were more open about growing up in a lesbian family, experienced less homophobia, and demonstrated fewer emotional and behavioral problems than American children.

Children in planned lesbian families: stigmatisation, psychological adjustment and protective factors.

The study assessed the extent to which children between eight and 12 years old in planned lesbian families in the Netherlands experience stigmatization, as well as the influence of protective factors (relationship with parents, social acceptance by peers, contact with children from other families headed by lesbian mothers or gay fathers) on their psychological adjustment (conduct problems, emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, self-esteem). Data were collected by questionnaires filled out by the mothers and by the children themselves. The children in the sample generally reported low levels of stigmatization.

Emotional distress and infertility: Turkish migrant couples compared to Dutch couples and couples in Western Turkey.

The present study investigates cultural differences in the effects of infertility on emotional distress. The study compares emotional distress among infertile people in three samples: Turkish migrants (n = 58), Turkish people living in Western Turkey (n = 46), and Dutch people (n = 199). Participants answered structured questionnaires on self-image, blame-guilt, sexual problems, depression, anxiety, and anger-hostility.

Child adjustment and parenting in planned lesbian-parent families.

One hundred planned lesbian-parent families (i.e., two-mother families in which the child was born to the lesbian relationship) were compared with 100 heterosexual-parent families on child adjustment, parental characteristics, and child rearing.

Attitudes towards sex selection in the Western world.

It appears that in most Western countries, son preference is somewhat stronger than daughter preference. However, when one considers the preference of women it looks as though the opposite pattern is emerging. There is a considerable social acceptance of 'light' methods of sex selection (such as diets), even though these methods are not proven to be effective.

Late parenthood among subfertile and fertile couples: motivations and educational goals.

Objectives: The percentage of first birth among women and men in their early thirties is growing rapidly. Personal development is considered as an important factor for postponement of having children. Also, subfertility may lead to late parenthood.

Long-term prognosis of acute otitis media in infancy: determinants of recurrent acute otitis media and persistent middle ear effusion.

Objectives: Children under 2 years of age with acute otitis media are known to have a relatively poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to assess whether known determinants for recurrent acute otitis media and persistent middle ear effusion after an episode of acute otitis media during childhood also apply to children under 2 years.

Study Design: prospective study of 210 children under 2, with identification of potential prognostic determinants.

Experience of parenthood, couple relationship, social support, and child-rearing goals in planned lesbian mother families.

Background: The phenomenon of planned lesbian families (i.e., two-mother families in which the child was born to the lesbian relationship) is relatively new and very little research has been conducted among those families.

Clinical efficacy of three common treatments in acute otitis externa in primary care: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of ear drops containing acetic acid, corticosteroid and acetic acid, and steroid and antibiotic in acute otitis externa in primary care.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 79 general practices, Netherlands.

Planned lesbian families: their desire and motivation to have children.

Background: There is no information about the desire and motivation for children among planned lesbian families. The overall aim of this research was to examine whether planned lesbian families differ from heterosexual families in desire and motivation to have a child. The reason for studying this is that desire and motivation to have children are characteristics that are supposed to effect parenting and the parent-child relationship.

Outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 1992 to 2001 in the Netherlands.

Objectives: Although Dutch outpatient antibiotic prescription rates are low compared with other European countries, continuing to scrutinize trends in outpatient antibiotic use is important in order to identify possible increases in antibiotic use or inappropriate increases in the use of particular classes of antibiotics.

Methods: We assessed the volume of Dutch outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 1992 to 2001 by calculating the mean number of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions (indicating the number of times physicians decide to prescribe an antibiotic agent) per 1000 patients insured by the Dutch Sickness Fund per year, according to subgroups (narrow-spectrum penicillins, broad-spectrum penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, sulphonamides and trimethoprim, and quinolones). Data were obtained from the Dutch Drug Information Project/Health Care Insurance Board.

Son preference, sex selection, and the "new" new reproductive technologies.

Throughout recorded history, humans have tried to influence the sex of their offspring, through pregnancy injunctions, infanticide, and infant/child neglect. Reproductive technologies developed in the late 20th century allow determination of the sex of the offspring during pregnancy, making "sex selection" through abortion possible. Especially in parts of East and South Asia, sex selection against female fetuses has had dramatic consequences for male/female sex ratios.