Projektbeschreibung
Gründliche wissenschaftliche Studie dokumentiert sämtliche Ergebnisse von Fruchtbarkeitsbehandlungen
Immer mehr Menschen nutzen künstliche Befruchtung, um Kinder zu empfangen. Zwar kann die künstliche Befruchtung unfruchtbaren Menschen zu Kindern verhelfen, allerdings sind die Folgen solcher Behandlung für die Kinder und ihre Eltern nicht vollständig ergründet. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass bereits fünf Millionen Kinder allein durch die In-vitro-Fertilisation geboren wurden, ist eine gründliche wissenschaftliche Untersuchung des Sachverhalts überfällig. Das EU-finanzierte Projekt MARTE schließt diese Lücken, indem es einen sehr großen Datensatz verwendet und verschiedene Ergebnisse in Bezug auf Erwachsene und Kinder analysiert, um jene zu bestimmen, die mit der Behandlung zusammenhängen. Das Projekt wird unerlässlich sein, um die Öffentlichkeit, die Politik und die Erbringer von Gesundheitsleistungen über diese äußerst wichtige Entscheidung aufzuklären, die immer mehr Menschen treffen müssen.
Ziel
Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) is one of the most important achievements of medical science in the last generation. In advanced societies, the number of MAR treatments increases every year, and, over the last four decades, more than five million MAR conceived children were born, and many more families received treatment. Given this trend, it is a public health prerogative to find out whether MAR affects the well-being of families. Prior findings are mixed and often hampered by low statistical power or conceptual limitations. I propose a programme of research that goes beyond the state-of-the-art by being the first to analyze comprehensively the effects of MAR on children, adults, and families through a combination of uniquely rich data, previously unused research designs, and conceptual innovations. First, in contrast to past work using small or convenience samples, I use extremely detailed and large datasets from population registers and surveys. Second, I compare the impact of MAR on different domains of life by analysing its effects on a range of adult and child outcomes (e.g. physical/mental health, education, union stability), thereby allowing me to investigate trade-offs that have not been previously tested. Third, I use innovative research designs to test whether the impact of MAR is causal by comparing children conceived through MAR treatments to their spontaneously conceived siblings, and adults who successfully conceive through MAR to those who are unsuccessful. The project has the potential to produce ground-breaking results that will impact future research in this field. Moreover, the project will have important policy implications, as its findings will be immediately relevant to health professionals advising couples seeking MAR treatments, to public health authorities allocating resources to mitigate the potentially negative effects of MAR on health, and to policy-makers considering whether to (further) subsidize MAR treatments.
Programm/Programme
Thema/Themen
Finanzierungsplan
ERC-STG - Starting GrantGastgebende Einrichtung
WC1E 6BT London
Vereinigtes Königreich