The aim of this study was to compare 70 couples who had conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with 63 matched controls for the prevalence of anxiety and quality of attachment to the baby during pregnancy. Results for mothers showed no group differences using a global measure of anxiety, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. However, pregnancy-specific measures revealed significantly higher levels of anxiety in IVF mothers about the survival and normality of their unborn babies, about damage to their babies during childbirth and about separating from their babies after birth. When IVF mothers were differentiated according to the number of treatment cycles, more differences in anxiety level were revealed, with most increases occurring in mothers who had experienced two or more treatment cycles. IVF fathers did not differ from controls on the global anxiety measure. No data on pregnancy-specific anxiety were available for fathers. Neither IVF mothers nor IVF fathers differed from controls on measures of attachment to the baby during pregnancy. Results are discussed in the context of the need for researchers to employ differentiated and issue-specific measures to identify concerns that may be unique to IVF couples. Clinical implications regarding the need for psychological support during pregnancy are also discussed.

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Descriptive writings and empirical research on the longterm effects of infertility and in uitro fertilization (IVF) on the psychosocial adjustment of parents and children are reviewed in three major areas: the experience of pregnancy, the quality of parenting, and the cognitive, social and emotional development of the children. Contrary to prior speculation, overall findings indicate that parents who conceive by IVF do not differ from comparison groups on adjustment to pregnancy, and they do not demonstrate dysfunctional parenting styles. Furthermore, there is no evidence that children conceived by IVF differ on either cognitive or social/emotional indices of development. However, the number of empirical studies is small and significant methodological shortcomings limit the conclusions which can be drawn from the research, More prospective empirical work is needed to clarify outcomes and to document the process of psychological adjustment over time in IVF families.