Chapter 10 Planning for Children

Chapter Sections 10-1 Do You Want to Have Children? 10-2 How Many Children Do You Want? 10-3 Teenage Motherhood 10-4 Infertility 10-5 Planning for Adoption 10-6 Foster Parenting 10-7 Abortion

Do You Want to Have Children? Pronatalism: attitude encouraging childbearing Family, friends, and religions encourage childbearing. Hispanics have the highest fertility rate of any racial or ethnic category. The tax structure supports parenthood.

Wanting Children Times of affluence are associated with a high birth rate. We celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents’ Day.

Wanting Children Parenthood is also costly. Becoming a parent involves changes in lifestyle. For an uncomplicated delivery, the cost can be $10,000. The annual cost of a middle-class child under two is $48,319 to $81,340.

How Many Children Do You Want? Procreative liberty: the freedom to decide whether or not to have children An increasing number of women are choosing to be child-free. Antinatalism: a negative perspective about children; opposition to having children

How Many? Only 3% of adults view one child as the ideal family size. The most preferred family size in the U.S. is the two- child family. Religion has a strong influence on the number of children.

How Many? Among affluence couples, four children may be the new norm. Competitive birthing: pattern in which a woman wants to have as many children as her peers

Teenage Motherhood Teens have babies for a variety of reasons including limited parental supervision, not understanding the importance of contraception, and wanting someone to love.

Teenage Motherhood Problems associated with teenage motherhood: Stigmatization and marginalization Poverty Poor health habits Lower academic achievement

Infertility Infertility: the inability to achieve a pregnancy after at least one year of regular sexual relations without birth control, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth Primary infertility: never conceiving during a 12 month period of being sexually active Secondary infertility: has previously conceived but cannot currently Pregnancy wastage: able to conceive but not carry to term

Infertility Fertilization: conception; the fusion of egg and sperm Pregnancy: begins when the fertilized egg is implanted in uterine wall 5 to 7 days after fertilization Forty percent of infertility problems are attributable to the woman, 40% to the man, and 20% to both of them.

Infertility Assisted reproductive technology includes: Hormone therapy: using drugs to stimulate ovulation Artificial insemination: sperm from male partner or donor is placed directly into the cervix Surrogate mother: another woman artificially inseminated

Infertility In vitro fertilization: egg is fertilized in small tube and implanted in mother’s uterine wall Cryopreservation: procedure by which fertilized eggs are frozen and implanted at a later time The typical success rate for infertile couples who want to give birth is 28%. The cost of a successful outcome is over $60,000.

Infertility—Application Match the term with the description: TermDescription In vitro fertilizationA woman carries another woman’s child. SurrogacyEmbryos are frozen. CryopreservationOvum is fertilized in lab.

Planning for Adoption Those who adopt are typically white, educated, and high income. Adoptees are increasingly placed in nontraditional homes.

Adoption Adoptees in the highest demand are healthy, white infants. Couples are increasingly open to cross-racial adoptions. Adopting from the U.S. foster care system is generally the least expensive type of adoption.

Adoption Transracial adoption: the practice of parents adopting children of another race. Transracial adoption is controversial.

Adoption Another controversy is whether adopted children should be allowed to obtain information about their biological parents. The benefits of an open adoption include the opportunity for the biological parents to stay involved and adoptive parents have genetic information about their child.

Foster Parenting Foster parent: a person who either alone or with a spouse takes care of and fosters a child taken into custody Foster parents are licensed by the state. The goal of placing children in foster care is to improve their living conditions and then either return them to the parents or find another permanent home for them.

Abortion Induced abortion: the deliberate termination of a pregnancy through chemical or surgical means Spontaneous abortion: miscarriage or unintended termination of a pregnancy

Abortion About 1.2 million abortions are performed annually in the U.S. Abortion rate: the number of abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. The abortion rate increased slightly between Abortion ratio: the number of abortions per 1,000 live births

Abortion Parental consent: woman needs permission from parent to get an abortion if she is under a certain age Parental notification: woman is required to tell her parents if she is under a certain age Laws regarding consent and notification vary by state.

Abortion Reasons for abortion include: – Interference with education or work – Not able to afford a child – Had completed child bearing – Not ready to have a child Therapeutic abortion: an abortion performed to protect the life or health of a woman

Abortion Pro-life arguments: – Unborn fetus has a right to live. – Abortion is a violent and immoral solution. – The life of the fetus is sacred. Pro-Choice arguments: – Freedom of choice is a central value. – Those who bear the burden have the right to make the choice. – Procreation should be free of governmental control.

Abortion Legal abortions, performed under safe medical conditions, are physically safer than continuing a pregnancy. There are possible physical complications that become more likely for late term abortions.

Abortion The American Psychological Association has not found significant psychological risks to an abortion. Researchers found that most men were happy about their partner’s decision to have an abortion.

Chapter Summary A variety of social influences reflect pronatalism. Parenthood involves lifestyle changes and economic costs. An increasing number of women are remaining child-free. The most preferred family size in the U.S. is two children.

Chapter Summary Teen pregnancy is associated with various negative consequences. There are different types and causes of infertility. A number of technological innovations are available to assist women and couples in becoming pregnant.

Chapter Summary Transracial adoptions are becoming more common. Foster parenting involves taking care of children who have been legally removed from their home. Reasons for abortion vary. Abortion is still a controversial topic in the U.S.

Chapter Review 1.What motivates individuals and couples to have children? 2.How many children do people want? 3.What are the effects of teenage motherhood? 4.What are the causes of infertility? 5.How can infertility be addressed? 6.What characteristics are desired by adoptive parents?

Chapter Review 7.What is foster parenting? 8.How common is abortion? 9.Why is abortion controversial? 10.What are the effects of abortion?