Long-term effects of unintended pregnancy on children: Findings from the Dutch prospective birth-cohort Amsterdam born children and their development study

Several studies investigated short-term risks of children born from unintended pregnancies, however evidence about long-term risks is lacking. We aimed to examine whether children born from unintended pregnancies experience psychosocial problems up into adolescence. This study is based on the longitudinal birth cohort study ‘Amsterdam Born Children and their Development’ (n = 7784). Unintended pregnancy was measured as a multidimensional construct, based on self-reports on the extent of pregnancy mistiming (‘This pregnancy happened too soon’), unwantedness (‘I did not want to be pregnant (anymore)’) and unhappiness (‘I am happy to be pregnant’; recoded). Further, children's psychosocial problems were measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, at 5–6, 11–12 and 15–16 years old. Multiple over-time associations between unintended pregnancy and children's psychosocial problems were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling, while controlling for confounders. Results showed that pregnancy mistiming was a significant predictor of internalizing (β = 0.10, p