Penn State Penn State: College of the Liberal Arts
Gene Environment Interplay
Across the Lifespan
  1. Project
  2.  | Wang, J., Natsuaki, M. N., Neiderhiser, J. M., Shaw, D. S., Ganiban, J. M., Reiss, D., & Leve, L. D. (2020). Fertility problems and parenting daily hassles in childhood: A 7-year longitudinal study of adoptive parents. Adoption Quarterly, 24, 177-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2020.1837315

Wang, J., Natsuaki, M. N., Neiderhiser, J. M., Shaw, D. S., Ganiban, J. M., Reiss, D., & Leve, L. D. (2020). Fertility problems and parenting daily hassles in childhood: A 7-year longitudinal study of adoptive parents. Adoption Quarterly, 24, 177-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2020.1837315

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While fertility problems have a negative impact on psychological health, infertile couples often view adoption as a positive healing experience. Yet, a dearth of work has examined the long-term impact that fertility problems have on adoptive parents and their childrearing stress. Here, we investigated how fertility problems related to parenting daily hassle (PDH) trajectories among adoptive mothers and fathers in the Early Growth and Development Study (N = 333). At adopted child age 9 months, adoptive parents reported whether they had fertility problems prior to their decision to adopt and rated their PDH frequency and intensity on six occasions over the next 7 years. Multilevel models revealed inverse U-shaped curves for PDH among both fertile and infertile parents, such that PDH increased from child age nine months until about five to six years and decreased thereafter. Mothers with fertility problems exhibited a steeper PDH incline from 9 months to the peak at child age 5 to 6, but also incurred a swifter subsequent decline. There were no significant differences in fathers’ PDH trajectories based on fertility problems. We discuss why fertility problems appear to impact PDH trajectories for mothers rather than fathers.

Skills

Posted on

September 19, 2022