The Relative Risk of Divorce in Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities: Impacts of Lifelong Parenting.

Namkung et al. (2015) tracked couples for 50 years. Some had kids with developmental disabilities. Others had only typically developing kids.

The team asked one question: does having more children change the chance of divorce?

In typical families, each extra child raised divorce risk. In disability families, more kids did not raise divorce risk.

The lifelong parenting load did not break these marriages faster.

Mtutu et al. (2025) saw the same pattern in Sweden. Parents of kids with spina bifida divorced less, not more. Their big welfare safety net may shield couples.

Amore et al. (2011) found families of kids with Down syndrome or spina bifida often keep having babies. Ha’s team shows this bigger crew does not raise split-up odds.

Gallagher et al. (2014) found parents of kids with disabilities show double the depression rates. Ha adds that even with extra stress, the marriage itself can stay steady.

You can stop warning clients that more brothers and sisters will wreck the marriage. Plan respite, date-night vouchers, or sibling support groups instead. Target the stress, not the family size.