'Daddy ran out of tadpoles': How parents tell their children that they are donor conceived, and what their 7-year-olds understand

Blake, L.; Casey, P.; Readings, J.; Jadva, V.; Golombok, S.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The present study explored the process of disclosure in gamete donation families in the UK. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 23 mothers and 15 fathers who had told their 7-year-old child about the nature of their conception. Twelve children were interviewed about what they understood and how they felt about their donor conception (DC). RESULTS: The majority of families had disclosed by the age of four and mothers were found to be the main disclosers. Although some parents expressed concerns about the disclosure, the majority did not experience difficulties. No child responded to disclosure in a negative way. Seven-year-old children showed little understanding of their DC, despite parents starting the process of disclosure before the age of four. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of mothers' concerns about disclosing DC to their children, children responded to disclosure in a neutral way and most parents did not find disclosure to be problematic. © 2010 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 15, 2010
• Online Publication Date: Aug 18, 2010
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Jul 12, 2021
• Journal: Human Reproduction
• Print ISSN: 0268-1161
• Electronic ISSN: 1460-2350
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 2527-2534
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deq208
• Keywords: Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Rehabilitation; Reproductive Medicine
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7521346