Disentangling genetic and environmental influences on children’s development: introducing a novel methodology

The present study describes a novel methodology to examine the interplay between genetic and environmental influences on children’s development. Families of children aged 4 – 10 years born by one of five methods of assisted reproductive technologies, specifically homologous in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm donation, egg donation, embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy, were contacted through fertility clinics and mailed a set of questionnaires focusing on the quality of family interaction, parenting, marital satisfaction, parent and child psychological health, economic conditions and family demographics. Analyses are described that highlight the novelty of this research design to disentangle genetic, intrauterine and early social environmental influences on children’s development. First, results are described whereby comparisons were made between children born through assisted reproductive technologies and children conceived naturally in relation to patterns of association between levels of interparental conflict, parent-to-child hostility and children’s symptoms of depression. Second, results are described where comparisons were made between patterns of association between parent depressive symptoms, family relationship quality (interparental and parent-child relations) and children’s symptoms of depression. Finally, a strategy that allows examination of relative genetic and intrauterine environmental influences on children’s health and mental health outcomes is described. Results are discussed in relation to implications for development of future intervention and prevention programme