Citation
Stykes, J. Bart & Guzzo, Karen Benjamin (2020). Unintended Childbearing and Marital Instability: An Emphasis on Couples' Intentions. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 61(7), 504-524. PMCID: PMC7723351Abstract
The birth of a child can negatively impact relationship functioning, especially if one or both partners did not intend to have a child. As such, unintended or disagreed-upon births may elevate the risk of dissolution. In this paper, we use the National Survey of Family Growth to consider how married couples characterize the intendedness of their first birth and examine its linkage with dissolution. Nearly one-third of first marital births are unintended by at least one parent. When fathers do not intend the birth, regardless of whether or not mothers do, couples report an elevated risk of dissolution.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2020.1768494Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2020Journal Title
Journal of Divorce & RemarriageAuthor(s)
Stykes, J. BartGuzzo, Karen Benjamin