Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the research on the psychological consequences of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) on parenting. After discussing the implications of the procedure and the medical risks related to ART, we analysed its psychological influences in parents considering three periods of the child development: infancy, preschool and school age, and adolescence. ART possible psychological consequences were analysed in the case of singleton and, in a separate chapter, in families with twins. Results indicate that parents, who have used ART appear to be functioning in the same way than non-ART parents. Finally the limitations of the research in this field are highlighted. The main flaws are the sample size often very small, the very little use of data collection through direct observation, the wide use of questionnaires almost always delivered by post.