Consequences for Children of Their Birth Planning Status

Abstract

Of 1,327 children younger than two in 1986 whose mothers were participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 61% were wanted, 34% were mistimed and 5% were unwanted. Planning status is associated with the level of developmental resources the child receives at home: At ages one and older, mistimed and unwanted children score significantly lower on a scale measuring opportunity for skill development and on a scale measuring nonauthoritarian parenting style than their wanted peers; by preschool age, they also have significantly less-positive relationships with their mothers. Measures of the direct effects of planning status on development also indicate that mistimed and unwanted children are at a disadvantage: Those younger than two have higher mean scores for fearfulness than wanted infants and lower scores for positive affect; unintended preschoolers score lower on a measure of receptive vocabulary.

What is a ‘planned’ pregnancy? empirical data from a British study

“…Further, women who have unplanned pregnancies which continue to term have fewer opportunities to benefit from pre-conceptual and early antenatal care (e.g. taking folic acid, giving up smoking), and unplanned pregnancies have been linked to poor infant outcomes (Fergusson & Horwood, 1983;Baydar, 1995). Hence the importance of good population estimates of the prevalence of unplanned pregnancy and the numerous attempts to gather such information in the 40 years since reliable contraception made pregnancy planning a realistic concept (Freedman, Whelpton, & Campbell, 1959;Cartwright, 1970Cartwright, , 1976Cartwright, , 1988Ryder & Westoff, 1971;Bone, 1973Bone, , 1978Westoff & Ryder, 1977;Dunnell, 1979;Cleland & Scott, 1987;Fleissig, 1991;Macro International, 1994).…”

Effect of Pregnancy Intention on Child Well-Being and Development: Combining Retrospective Reports of Attitude and Contraceptive use

“…The high prevalence of unintended pregnancy concerns researchers and policymakers as research consistently finds an association with poorer maternal pregnancy behavior, birth outcomes, and postpartum behavior (Kost et al 1998a(Kost et al , 1998bDye et al 1997;Hummer et al 1995;Brown & Eisenberg 1995;Bustan & Coker 1994;Joyce & Grossman 1990;Weller et al 1987). Although there is less evidence and consistency about the longer-term effects, research has examined the consequences of pregnancy intention on child outcomes such as development, health, school performance, social skills, parental interactions, and activity (Hummer et al 2004;Joyce et al 2000;Baydar 1995;David et al 1988;David 1986;David & Matejcek 1981;Dytrych et al 1975). The general consensus of this literature is that the well-being of children from unintended pregnancies is somewhat compromised compared to that of children from intended pregnancies.…”

Associations between child development and women's attitudes to pregnancy and motherhood

“…Cognitive, behavioural and emotional development is partly determined by the developmental resources available to a child (Baydar, 1995;Blumberg, 1980). Baydar found that these resources for skill development after 1 year of life were significantly associated with the intention status of pregnancy.…”

“…Baydar found that these resources for skill development after 1 year of life were significantly associated with the intention status of pregnancy. Three factors put children from 'unplanned' pregnancies at developmental risk: the mother's characteristics (for example, educational achievements); experience of a less-favourable family environment; and the presence of relatively few developmental resources available to the children (Baydar, 1995).…”