Families Created by Identifiable Egg Donation: Family Functioning in Early Childhood

Egg donation is an increasingly common form of fertility treatment offered to women who are unable to conceive using their own eggs. Identity-release egg donation is the primary treatment method available to prospective parents seeking treatment with donated eggs in the UK. In families formed through identity-release egg donation, mother and child lack a genetic link. The child is also legally entitled to access the donor’s identity when they reach adulthood. Despite identity-release egg donation being available in the UK since 2005, no studies have yet examined family functioning in families formed this way when children are in early childhood. The aim of this thesis was first, to examine the effect of the absence of a genetic link between mother and child and, second, to examine mothers’ perspectives on identity-release donation and the possibility of future donor-child contact. Data were obtained from a sample of 72 families who had conceived using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and egg donation and a comparison group of 50 families who had conceived through IVF using their own gametes. Eighty-nine percent of the families were heterosexual, two-parent families and the average age of the children (45% female) at the time of data collection was 5.6 years. Standardised interview, questionnaire and observational measures were used to collect data from mothers, father and children about parents’ psychological wellbeing, the quality of the parent-child relationship and children’s adjustment. Data regarding mothers’ thoughts and feelings about identity-release egg donation and future donor-child contact were obtained via semi-structured interview. Egg donation families were found to be functioning well in terms of parents’ psychological health, the quality of the parent-child relationship and child adjustment, with few differences found between family types. However, egg donation mothers were found to report more parenting stress and less social support than IVF mothers, and egg donation fathers were found to have poorer psychological health compared to IVF fathers. Differences in fathers’ psychological health were generally associated with egg donation fathers’ older age or being a parent of twins rather than family type per se. Egg donation mothers and fathers were found to express more negative representations of the parent- child relationship than IVF parents; however, no group differences were found between observed parent-child interaction quality, with parents and children in both groups demonstrating good relationship functioning at the behavioural level. Egg donation children were found to be rated as higher in externalising problems by their parents than IVF children. Most of the variance in children’s externalising scores was explained by family process variables and was not explained by family type. Egg donation mothers were found to express considerable ambivalence about their use of identity-release egg donation. Thematic analysis of egg donation mothers’ interviews revealed a broad range of perspectives, from viewing the prospect of future donor-child contact as threatening to the security of their position as the child’s mother, to viewing identity-release an opportunity to be embraced for the benefit of the child. Mothers’ narratives revealed complex and often contradictory perspectives, and demonstrated mothers’ use of multiple strategies in order to make sense of and manage their feelings about identity-release egg donation

The development of social legislation for blind or deaf persons in England 1834-1939

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.As indicated by the title the purpose of the thesis is to trace the development of social legislation for blind or deaf persons in England between 1834 and 1939. No attempt is made to deal with assistance whether from statutory or voluntary sources for war blinded or deafened persons. In the first chapter a survey is made of the position of the blind or deaf under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 and succeeding Poor Law legislation up to 1919. Chapter two deals with the enquiry into the condition of the blind carried out in 1874-75 by the Charity Organisation Society and the much more comprehensive survey of the state of the blind or deaf made between 1884 and 1888 by the Royal Commission on the Blind, Deaf and Dumb which reported in 1889. The latter enquiry resulted in the passing of the Education (Blind and Deaf Children) Act of 1893 and also provided the essential data on which state action for the two disabilities could be based. The third chapter gives an account of the campaign to secure legislation for the blind which culminated in the Blind Persons Act of 1920. How the Blind Persons Act was implemented at the local level and the effect on blind welfare of the work of the Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind and the passing of the Local Government Act of 1929, is the concern of chapter four. Chapter five describes the events leading up to the enactment of legislation relating to the issue of free dog licences in respect of guide dogs for the blind, concessionary postal rates, reduced fees in respect of wireless receiving licences, and the Blind Voters Act of 1933. In Chapter six the story of the campaign for legislation for the blind is continued up to the passing of the Blind Persons Act of 1938. The penultimate chapter relates the attempts made to secure legislation provision for the deaf in the form of a Deaf Persons Act broadly similar in scope to the Acts on behalf of the blind. The thesis concludes with a consideration of certain conclusions drawn from the subject matter presented in the preceding chapters

Resolving the Softwood Lumber Dispute

This Comment argues that the London Court of International Arbitration will be able to resolve disputes involving softwood lumber but not resolve the softwood lumber dispute. Part II reviews the history of the dispute. Part III discusses the lessons that Canada and the United States have learned about resolving trade disputes, several of which are reflected in the current agreement. Part IV examines why, although the current agreement provides a degree of neutrality and finality to the dispute that prior regimes lacked, inherent political pressures will prove too large for even this agreement. Finally, Part V concludes that the dispute might only be resolved with an economic compromise

Resolving the Softwood Lumber Dispute

This Comment argues that the London Court of International Arbitration will be able to resolve disputes involving softwood lumber but not resolve the softwood lumber dispute. Part II reviews the history of the dispute. Part III discusses the lessons that Canada and the United States have learned about resolving trade disputes, several of which are reflected in the current agreement. Part IV examines why, although the current agreement provides a degree of neutrality and finality to the dispute that prior regimes lacked, inherent political pressures will prove too large for even this agreement. Finally, Part V concludes that the dispute might only be resolved with an economic compromise

The psychosocial outcomes of older parenthood in early to mid-childhood: a mini-review

Recent decades have seen a global trend towards delaying parenthood, referred to as the 'postponement transition'. Whilst there is plentiful research regarding obstetric and paediatric outcomes related to delayed parenthood, relatively little is known about the psychosocial outcomes associated with advanced parental age during early and middle childhood. This mini-review examines the current literature regarding the psychosocial functioning of families headed by older parents. First, we give an overview of the literature that examines the psychological wellbeing of older first-time parents. We then review the literature regarding the quality of the parent-child relationship in older parent families. Finally, we discuss the psychosocial adjustment and cognitive development of children of older parents. We conclude with suggestions for future research avenues

Single mothers by choice: Parenting and child adjustment in middle childhood.

Findings are presented of the second phase of a longitudinal study of families created by single mothers by choice. Forty-four single heterosexual mothers were compared with 37 partnered heterosexual mothers, all with a donor-conceived child aged around 8-10 years. Standardized interview, observational, and questionnaire measures of maternal wellbeing, mother-child relationships and child adjustment were administered to mothers, children, and teachers. There were no differences in maternal mental health, the quality of mother-child relationships or children's emotional and behavioral problems between family types. However, higher levels of parenting stress and higher levels of children's prior adjustment difficulties were each associated with children's adjustment difficulties in middle childhood irrespective of family type. The findings suggest that the presence of two parents-or of a male parent-is not essential for children to flourish, and add to the growing body of evidence that family structure is less influential in children's adjustment than the quality of family relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).The Wellcome Trus

The psychosocial outcomes of older parenthood in early to mid-childhood: a mini-review

Recent decades have seen a global trend towards delaying parenthood, referred to as the ‘postponement transition’. Whilst there is plentiful research regarding obstetric and paediatric outcomes related to delayed parenthood, relatively little is known about the psychosocial outcomes associated with advanced parental age during early and middle childhood. This mini-review examines the current literature regarding the psychosocial functioning of families headed by older parents. First, we give an overview of the literature that examines the psychological wellbeing of older first-time parents. We then review the literature regarding the quality of the parent–child relationship in older parent families. Finally, we discuss the psychosocial adjustment and cognitive development of children of older parents. We conclude with suggestions for future research avenues