Open AccessThe mental health of mothers and fathers during pregnancy and early parenthood after successful oocyte donation treatment: A nested case‐control study
Author(s) -
Sälevaara Mari,
Punamäki RaijaLeena,
UnkilaKallio Leila,
Vänskä Mervi,
Tulppala Maija,
Tiitinen Aila
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1111/aogs.13421
Subject(s) - medicine , intracytoplasmic sperm injection , anxiety , pregnancy , embryo donation , obstetrics , oocyte donation , mental health , in vitro fertilisation , gynecology , oocyte , donation , psychiatry , embryo , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , economics , biology , economic growth
Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to compare the mental health problems between parents after oocyte donation treatment, after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection ( IVF / ICSI ) with own gametes and after naturally conceiving ( NC ). Material and methods This is a prospective, longitudinal questionnaire study. The study group consisted of 26 oocyte donation mothers and their matched IVF / ICSI (n = 52) and NC (n = 52) controls. Matching was performed according to mother's age, parity, type of pregnancy, and number of returned questionnaires. The parents filled‐in the General Health Questionnaire ( GHQ ‐36) at gestational weeks 18‐20 (T1), and at 2 months (T2) and 12 months (T3) after the childbirth. Results Full response rate (T1‐T3) for oocyte donation mothers was 76.9% and for oocyte donation fathers was 73.1%. At T1, no significant differences were found between groups in depression, anxiety, sleeping difficulties, or social dysfunction, but they differed at T2 and T3 in anxiety (T2, P = .02; T3, P = .01), in sleeping difficulties (T2, P = .02; T3, P = .04) and in social dysfunction (T2, P = .01; T3, P = .04). Oocyte donation mothers showed less anxiety than NC mothers (T2, T3), and fewer sleeping difficulties and less social dysfunction than IVF / ICSI (T2, T3) and NC mothers (T2). Mental health problems of oocyte donation fathers did not differ from those of IVF / ICSI and NC control fathers at T1‐T3. Conclusions Oocyte donation mothers showed fewer mental health symptoms in early parenthood compared with IVF / ICSI and NC mothers. No differences were found among mothers during pregnancy and among fathers at any time point.