April 12, 2016 - Children raised by same-sex female parents with a stable family life show no difference in general health, emotional difficulties, coping and learning behavior, compared to children of different-sex parents in similarly stable relationships, concludes a study in the April Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
"Our study of households with no divorces or other family transitions finds that spouse-partner and parent-child relationships are similar regardless of family structure," comment lead researchers Henry Bos, PhD, and Nanette Gartrell, MD, of the University of Amsterdam. "These strong relationships are important contributors to good child outcomes -- not whether the parents are same-sex or different-sex."
Further Evidence of 'No Difference' in Outcomes for Children of Same-Sex Parents
The researchers identified 95 female same-sex parent households and 95 different-sex parent households, matched for parent and child characteristics. The families were drawn from a very large, nationally representative study, the National Survey of Child Health. (Male same-sex couples were not included because of the small number of households meeting the study criteria.)
The current study focused on households with no history of family instability, discontinuity, or transitions--limited to parents who were raising their own children since birth, without divorce, separation, or adoption. Thus, the study minimized the impact of family disruption on child well-being.
The results showed no differences between the two groups in terms of spouse or partner relationships, parent-child relationships, or any of the child outcomes assessed. The only difference between the two groups of households was higher reported parenting stress among the same-sex couples.
In both groups of families, more positive parent-child relationships were associated with higher levels of children's general health and better coping and learning behaviors. Better spouse/partner and parent-child relationships were associated with lower levels of children's emotional difficulties.
As the number of children raised by gay and lesbian parents continues to grow, there is an ongoing and highly politicized debate over same-sex parenting and child outcomes. A large majority of studies have found no difference in outcomes for children raised by same-sex versus different-sex families. Most of these studies were based on convenience samples or fertility clinic recruitment.
In contrast, the current study was drawn from a population-based survey on children's health approved by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results show that, for children with stable and positive family relationships, outcomes are similarly good in both same-sex and different-sex parent families.
That's despite the higher levels of parenting stress reported by same-sex parents, Dr. Bos and colleagues note. They call for further studies to assess the source of this stress, suggesting that the "cultural spotlight" on child outcomes in families with same-sex parents might be a contributing factor.
The findings highlight the need to "move beyond anti-LGBT politics," according to a commentary by Nathaniel Frank, PhD, Director of the What We Know Project at Columbia Law School. He writes, "The study corroborates the 'no differences' conclusions that have been reached by at least 73 other scholarly studies."
Especially since the US Supreme Court decision resolving the status of legal same-sex marriage, Dr. Frank states, "The scientific debate over the politics of gay parenting is over, and equal treatment has won." He believes that future research should focus on meeting the health and well-being needs of the under-served LGBT population.
###
Article: "Same-Sex and Different-Sex Parent Households and Child Health Outcomes: Findings from the National Survey of Children's Health" (doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000288)
About the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Written for physicians, clinicians, psychologists and researchers, each bimonthly issue of the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics is devoted entirely to the developmental and psychosocial aspects of pediatric health care. Each issue brims with original articles, case reports, challenging cases and reviews -- the latest work of many of today's best known leaders in related fields -- that help professionals across disciplines stay current with the latest information in the field. Relevant areas covered include learning disorders, developmental disabilities, and emotional, behavioral, and psychosomatic problems. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics is the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information services. Professionals in the areas of legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance and healthcare rely on Wolters Kluwer's market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions to manage their business efficiently, deliver results to their clients, and succeed in an ever more dynamic world.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of €4.2 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, and employs over 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
For more information about our products and organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwerhealth.com, follow @WKHealth or @Wolters_Kluwer on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, or follow WoltersKluwerComms on YouTube.