In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.

Marriage and divorce in the United States

Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2021. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.

New family structures

In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in the U.S. have children under the age of 18 living in the house in comparison to 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.

About 13.2 percent of households in Nigeria had, as of 2018, children being raised with neither their mother nor their father present. In addition, 7.3 percent of all households had children with one dead parent and an unknown survival status of the other parent.

IntroductionMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires children to remain still for extended periods, often necessitating sedation, which carries risks and raises costs. Non-pharmacologic strategies such as video goggles, evening scheduling, mock MRI training, and child life specialist-led preparation have been explored. The effectiveness of parental presence, especially in younger children, remains underexamined.MethodsThis prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial included children aged 3–10 years referred for short stature evaluation. All were admitted for GH testing and underwent pituitary MRI if peak GH was ≤6.0 ng/ml. Participants were stratified by age (3–6 and 7–10 years) and randomized to parent present or absent groups using block randomization. MRI success was assessed in three steps: Step 1, completion of all sequences; Step 2, image quality (no, mild, or severe artifacts) evaluated blindly by two pediatricians; Step 3, final success defined as completion with no or mild artifacts. Exploratory variables included sibling number and crying during routine vaccinations.ResultsEighty children were enrolled, with 40 assigned to each group. Step 1: Completion rates were 30/40 (75.0%) in the parent present group and 22/40 (55.0%) in the parent absent group (P = 0.25). In children aged 3–6 years, completion was significantly higher in the parent present group (13/22, 59.1%) than in the parent absent group (4/22, 18.2%) (P = 0.012). Step 2: Among 52 who completed MRI, image quality was no/mild/severe artifact in 11/17/2 children (parent present) and 12/10/0 (parent absent) (P = 0.38). Step 3: Final success was achieved in 28/40 (70.0%) in the parent present group and 22/40 (55.0%) in the parent absent group (P = 0.25). In the 3–6-year subgroup, success was significantly higher in the parent present group (P = 0.012; OR = 6.50, 95% CI: 1.64–25.76). No difference was observed in the 7–10-year subgroup. Crying during vaccinations and sibling number were not associated with MRI success.DiscussionParental presence significantly improved non-sedated MRI success in children aged 3–6 years. Compared to other interventions, it is simple, safe, low-cost, and requires no specialized resources, supporting its use as a first-line strategy in younger children.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, ** percent of parents in the United States said that they faced challenges finding high-quality, affordable childcare or after-school care, while ** percent said that they have experienced being late or absent from work due to lack of childcare.

The statistic shows the opinion on which are the main problems in the relations between parents and children in Italy in 2017. According to data, over ** percent of respondents believed that the loss of the value of family was the biggest problem in the parent-child relations, followed by the absence of communication (over ** percent).