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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on July 17, 2007
Human Reproduction 2007 22(8):2287-2295; doi:10.1093/humrep/dem155
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Psychological trait and state characteristics, social support and attitudes to the surrogate pregnancy and baby

Olga B.A. van den Akker

Department of Psychology, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; Centre for Human Reproductive Sciences, Birmingham Women's Health Care Trust, Metchley Park Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK

Correspondence address. Tel: +44-121-204-4085; Fax: +44-121-359-3257; E-mail: o.vandenakker{at}aston.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: Personality differences between surrogate mothers (SMs) who gestate and relinquish and intended mothers (IMs) who commission a genetically related or unrelated baby have been unexplored in the UK. Furthermore, the psychological effects of the arrangement have not been determined in a prospective longitudinal study, making this the first quantitative report of psychological functioning in SMs and IMs.

METHODS: SMs and IMs (n = 81: 61 surrogate, 20 intended) undergoing genetic or gestational surrogacy (4 groups) were assessed by postal questionnaire during the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Those with a positive outcome were assessed again in the first week, at 6 weeks and 6 months post-delivery of the surrogate baby.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between or within SM and IM groups on personality characteristics. Social support, marital harmony and state anxiety differed significantly (to P < 0.01) between SMs and IMs at different stages of the arrangement. Differences in attitudes towards the pregnancy and the baby were also observed between groups during pregnancy (to P < 0.001), but there was no evidence of post-natal depression amongst the groups studied.

CONCLUSIONS: These results are important because they demonstrate psychological effects of the surrogate arrangement are notable and occur over an extended period of time. It also shows that psychological screening and support prior to, during and following surrogacy is indicated.

Key words: surrogacy/genetic/gestational/attachment/psychology

Submitted on April 1, 2007; resubmitted on May 3, 2007; accepted on May 9, 2007.


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