Kids raised by single mothers do just as well as others

New Delhi: A new study has found that children growing up in single-mother-by-choice families do just as well as those in heterosexual two-parent families.

As per the Dutch researchers, there were no significant differences in the children’s well-being, parent-child relationship or child development.

"Children in both family types are doing well in terms of their well-being," said investigator Mathilde Brewaeys from the Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam.

The study also found that single-mothers-by-choice did have a greater social support network.

"Single-mothers-by-choice and their children benefit from a good social support network, and this should be emphasised in the counselling of women who want to have and raise a child without a partner," Ms Brewaeys said.

The study looked at 69 single-mothers-by-choice (who had knowingly chosen to raise their child alone) and 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families with a child between the ages of 1.5 and 6 years.

In the study, parent-child relationships, mothers' social support network and children's well-being were compared between family types according to three validated questionnaires.

They found there were no significant differences in emotional involvement or parental stress between family types, the children's internal and external problem behaviour (well-being) between both family types.

Single-mothers-by-choice showed significantly higher scores on the social support they received, but also on wanting more social support.

Fertility treatment of single women is now available in most European countries and is an increasingly popular procedure for single women who wish to become single mothers by choice or pregnant without a partner.

The study showed that children growing up with single-mothers-by-choice appeared to enjoy a similar parent-child relationship as those in heterosexual two-parent families.

The new findings have been presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Geneva on Wednesday.