Unwantedness at Birth May Induce Psychological, Social Problems for Adults

This article summarizes a cohort study comparing Czech women with wanted and unwanted pregnancies. Findings indicate that psychosocial differences between children of women with unwanted and wanted pregnancies were significant for six of ten adaptation measures. All births were to intact families. Unwantedness was determined by denial for an abortion initially and after an appeal (twice) during 1961-63 and in four other waves. Differences by wantedness were sustained over time. The analysis of 190 children from the original cohort (mean age of 29.1 years) 162 of their siblings and 200 controls revealed only one statistically significant difference among about eight measures of social problems. Young women born from unwanted pregnancies were three times more likely to be registered as unemployed during 1992-93. More men from unwanted pregnancies abused alcohol but differences were not statistically significant. Measures include criminal behavior parenting problems socialization mood frequency social development and social integration. Among the ten psychosocial measures six indicators were statistically different among wanted and unwanted births. These included socialization self-discipline positive memories of home depression receipt of psychiatric care and social integration. Women who were unwanted pregnancies scored 31.9 on the socialization scale while women of a wanted pregnancy had a mean score of 34.1. Women of unwanted pregnancies were significantly more likely to suffer from anxiety depression and lack of self-confidence while siblings were not as likely to suffer from these psychological problems. The same significant differences between women of unwanted pregnancies and their siblings occurred over the range of the six indicators. Socialization scores and educational levels were lower among both men and women of unwanted pregnancies and siblings compared to families with wanted pregnancies. These differences between families were greater than the female-specific effects of unwantedness. The overall strength of the effects of unwantedness declined over time but gender specific impacts remained.