Test tube babies, also known as IVF children, or those born to solo or single moms who choose to have babies via a sperm donor, are generally growing up well-adjusted in their non-traditional family set up. However, they still can't help but ask their mother about why they have no father. At least a third of them actually harbor negative feelings about this, according to a new study.
Experts from the Centre for Family Research based at the University of Cambridge did the research on IVF children and found out that majority of test tube babies generally function well and understand the dynamics of their unusual family. Some 51 families with solo moms were evaluated for the study and were compared to 52 heterosexual parent families, also known as traditional families. They all had children between the ages of 4-9, per EurekAlert.
The findings underscored that 39 percent of test tube babies in solo mom families feel "neutral" about having no father, while 27 percent had mixed feelings about their situation. However, at least 8 percent, or a third of the group, have negative feelings about lacking the presence of a dad while growing up. Many of the solo moms admitted their child do asks about their dad.
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These test tube babies wonder about what it's like to make a connection with a father, and yet some of them aren't necessarily looking for a biological connection. In particular, they are looking for a father figure in their lives. "You need to go out and find somebody to be a dad to us," one mother related that it was what her IVF twins told her, per Telegraph.
The study also learned that although many of the kids are do well psychologically, 63 percent of test tube babies are teased in school about having no dad. However, 51 percent said they do not want their family dynamics to change at all despite having questions about their father, per Daily Mail.
Solo mothers choosing to have test tube babies fathered by a donor sperm have increased in numbers in recent years. Experts attribute this growth to the number of women who have become determined to raise a child without a partner. This means doing away with marital conflicts and other issues within a relationship.
Experts also pointed out that solo moms get why IVF children still ask about their father or could have negative feelings about having no father figure in the family. It all boils down to the norms imposed by society about the nuclear family, which must always consist of the mom, dad and the children.
However, the experts insist that the bottom line is that these test tube babies or IVF children are doing OK because there is an evident positive relationship between solo moms and their child. The findings will be presented in full at the annual meet of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Helsinki.
