Twins conceived using IVF: a follow-up of the family environment and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence

STUDY QUESTION: Compared to families with IVF singletons, what are parental depressive, parent-adolescent interaction and adolescent adjustment outcomes in families with 11-17-year-old IVF twins? SUMMARY ANSWER: No differences were detected for any measured outcome between families with 11-17-year-old IVF twins and those with IVF singletons, despite high statistical power. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: When IVF twins are younger than 5-years-old, parents tend to have more mental health difficulties and poorer parent-child interactions relative to IVF singletons. By middle childhood, these differences may no longer exist and available studies with middle childhood-aged IVF twins challenge the expected long-term implications of the early concerns. IVF twins may even have more optimum adjustment than IVF singletons in middle childhood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Study of 280, 11-17-year-old IVF children (n = 122 twins and n = 158 singletons) from 195 families at a US reproductive endocrinology clinic. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD: At Wave 1, clinic patients with an IVF child born between 1998 and 2004 were invited to participate in an online survey. In this follow-up study, mothers and fathers provided information on each of their 11-17-year-old IVF adolescents. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: There were no differences between 11- and 17-year-old IVF twins and IVF singletons in parent depressive symptoms, parent-adolescent interactions or adolescent adjustment outcomes. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: Although the family demographics are representative of IVF patients, participants were drawn from one US clinic. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Study results provide reassurance that by adolescence IVF twins and their families function as well as IVF singletons and their families.