Sex in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction is one of the presentations at an innovative international conference at the University of Dundee this week.
The play, by Carl Djerassi, will be performed at Dundee Contemporary Arts by the Rep Theatre company as part of the Annual Conference on Reproductive and Infant Psychology (9-11 September) being held at the University of Dundee. A key scientist in the development of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s, Djerassi explores who ought to be involved in making decisions about the use of artificial insemination techniques doctors, governments, scientists, the media or the couples who wish to become pregnant?
A team of researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Durham will report on their findings that twelve year old children who failed to thrive as infants had a shorter, lighter, and lower body mass index and were significantly more likely to say that they had a lower appetite than their best friend. Their desired body shape corresponded better to their actual (perceived) body shape.
Delivering the conference's award lecture is the University of Dundee's own child psychologist Peter Willatts. Peter, with University of Dundee colleague Dr Stewart Forsyth has discovered the effects that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) have on children's cognitive development. He will explain that LCPs are present in breast milk and in some specific LCP feeding formulas but feeding babies on formula without LCPs could deny them the positive benefits of LCP on neurodevelopment, motor skills, speed of information processing, attention and problem solving during the first year of life.
Olga van den Akker from the University of Aston will discuss the often controversial issue of surrogate pregnancy and her research results showing that intended mothers tend to be more anxious than the surrogate mothers but that they get more positive support from their partners and parents than the surrogates.
A team of researchers from the University of Leicester will report on their current research into the differences in family life between parents who are 25 and younger when they have children and parents who are aged 35 and over. A topic which has not been studied before, the researchers will elucidate their initial findings that older parents often provide a different family environment from that of younger parents with a different style of interaction with their children.
Organiser and co-host of the conference Dr Suzanne Zeedyk said: "The psychological aspects of reproduction, pregnancy, childbirth, infertility, early childhood, and of course sex are always of interest because they are so central to our experiences of life. The increasing role of technology in these processes is an issue that is surrounded in considerable controversy, and we look forward during the some heated international debates on these issues in the next few days!"
Other research to be discussed during the conference include studies on pregnancy and anxiety, postnatal depression, infant feeding, abortion, pain in childbirth and consent for antenatal testing.
The aim of the Society of Reproductive and Infant Psychology is to bring together the interests of many of the professionals who are interested in the psychological aspects of reproduction. Such professionals include midwives, health visitors, nurses, psychologists, gynaecologists and obstetricians. A gathering of 75 delegates is expected from throughout the UK, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, South Africa and Japan. The conference runs from 9-11 September.
Contact Suzanne Zeedyk in the office on 01382 344611 or during the conference on 01382 647171
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk