A 20-year study has revealed children of lesbian parents may be better adjusted than those raised in so-called traditional families.

Researchers followed 78 pairs of lesbian mothers from the time they fell pregnant and found their children, now adolescents, “demonstrate healthy psychological adjustment”.

Children with lesbian mums also had “fewer social problems and less aggressive and rule-breaking behaviours than other teens”. Study author Dr Nanette Gartrell said the well-being of these children was a testament to the commitment of their mothers.

“ The outcomes here were very clear. These are families in which the mothers were very committed, involved and loving,” said Gartrell.

“One of the things that opponents of the equalities of gays and lesbians — in marriage, parenting, adoption and foster care — often bring up is the so-called gold standard of parenting, which defined by them is the traditional family where children are conceived in traditional ways and not through insemination or surrogates,” she continued.

“But, when we compared the adolescents in our study to the so-called gold standard, we found the teens with lesbian mothers were actually doing better.”

Gartrell expects similar results among children of gay men.