One in five US women have kids with different dads

Sunday April 03, 2011 10:51:28 AM, IANS

New York: One in five women in the US have children with different fathers, according to a study.

Researchers found that this trend was higher in minority groups and women with low income and education backgrounds, Britain's Daily Mail reported.

The data was taken during a 27-year period from nearly 4,000 American women.

Author Cassandra Dorius of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research presented her findings to the Population Association of America.

"Women with children from multiple fathers tend to be disadvantaged compared to other moms. They are more likely to be under-employed, to have lower incomes, and to be less educated," Dorius said.

This type of family structure can lead to lot more stress for everyone involved, because the women need to "juggle the demands and needs" of more than one dad, she said.

"Everyday decisions are more complex and family rules are more ambiguous. Families need to figure out who lives with whom and when, who pays for things like clothing, who is responsible for child support," she said.

This type of family structure was more common among minority women, with 59 percent of African-American mothers and 35 percent of Hispanic women. Only 22 percent of white mothers reported children with more than one father.

Katherine Stamps Mitchell, an assistant professor of human ecology and sociology at Louisiana State University, said a lot of young women were choosing to become mothers before marriage.

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

1983 repeated, India beat Sri Lanka to take home 2011 Cricket World Cup

India convincingly defeated Sri Lanka in the final match played today at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to take home the 2011 Cricket  »

 India in carnival mode after World Cup win

Billion hearts, one dream: India prays for encore

  Most Read

Raja, 11 others formally charged in 2G spectrum case

Formal charges running into 127 pages, with over 80,000 sheets in annexure, were filed against former telecom  »

 CBI slammed for scaling down spectrum scam loss

Israeli air strike in Gaza killed three Palestinians

An Israeli air strike has killed three Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip, medical officials and the Israeli army said. Residents said the strike on Saturday targeted a car driving between  »

Israel asks UN to help block planned Gaza flotilla

  News Pick

Who is a progressive Muslim?

A progressive Muslim is one who is firmly grounded in the Qur’anic values of truth (haq), justice (‘adl), compassion (rahmah), wisdom (hikmah) and does service to others rather than being served by others. A progressive Muslim does not believe in sectarian   »

Quirks of fate boost Manmohan's standing

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision to invite his counterpart in Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match in the World Cup semifinal in Chandigarh may prove to be a successful initiative    »

Anna Hazare calls for nation-wide fast

After discussions between activists and government representatives on the anti-graft Lokpal bill failed to reach a discussion, veteran activist Anna Hazare has called upon the nation to observe a fast April 5. "We are appealing to the   »

Waqf Properties’ Record in MP being Computerized

In order to monitor Waqf properties, the record is being computerized in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A total of 15,000 properties worth Rs. 52,000 crores is registered under the Waqf in the state.   »

RTE Act one year on: 8 million children still missing school

The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act which promises  »

 Over a lakh children in Delhi still out of school

Picture of the Day

A Supporter with Indian Tri-color painted on his body and carrying the flag in hand, near the Wankhede Staidum in Mumbai during the final match between India and Sri Lanka. India beat Lanka by six wickets to take home the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

(Photo: AP)