Educational gradients in the prevalence of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) births in a comparative perspective

A handful of studies from individual countries have shown that parents of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR)-conceived children are more likely to have, relative to parents of naturally conceived (NC) children, higher socioeconomic status. Yet, a comparative perspective is lacking. In this paper we assess the extent to which children conceived after MAR are more likely to be born to socioeconomically advantaged mothers, measured through their level of education, and whether the gradient varies across countries with different institutional contexts, specifically Denmark, France, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States, using national representative data and applying Linear Probability Models. Children of socioeconomically advantaged mothers are more likely to have been conceived after MAR across all contexts prior to adjustment for covariates. After adjustment, however, educational differences fully attenuate in France and the United Kingdom.