February 7, 2023 – In vitro fertilization has been around for thus long that researchers can now compare the developmental and learning achievements of those children with those of their school-age peers.
Amber Kennedy, MBBS, and her colleagues did just that. In a brand new study, they found little difference in these milestones between a complete of 11,059 children conceived through IVF and 401,654 children conceived spontaneously.
“Parents considering IVF and healthcare professionals can be reassured that the development and academic performance of children conceived through IVF will be consistent with that of their peers,” says Kennedy, lead writer and a gynecologist on the Mercy Hospital for Women on the University of Melbourne in Australia.
The Results have been published online on 24 January within the Journal PLOS Medicine.
“Overall, we know that children born through IVF do well health-wise, but also emotionally and cognitively, so I wasn't surprised. I live in that world,” says Ariadna Cymet Lanski, PsyD, chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Mental Health Professional Group, who was not involved within the study.
Some researchers have previously linked conception through IVF to an increased risk of congenital abnormalities, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays and mental disability.
When asked why the present study didn’t find increased risks, Kennedy says, “Our population included a relatively young birth cohort, which may explain some differences from previous studies as IVF practices have evolved over time.”
An estimated 8 million people worldwide have been conceived through IVF because the first birth in 1978, researchers say. In Australia, this proportion has risen from 2% of births in 2000 to almost 5% now, or 1 in 20 live births, Kennedy says. “That's why it's important to understand the long-term consequences for this group of children.”
Together with lead writer Anthea Lindquist, MBBS, Kennedy and colleagues examined 585,659 single births in Victoria, Australia, between 2005 and 2014. Multiple births equivalent to twins or triplets weren’t included.
The researchers compared 4,697 children conceived through artificial insemination and 168,503 others conceived spontaneously using a normal developmental measure, the Australian Early Developmental Census (AEDC). They also assessed 8,976 children within the IVF group and 333,335 other children using a normal educational measure, the National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).
For example, the developmental census measures developmental risk. Kennedy and colleagues found a difference of 0.3% in favor of youngsters conceived through IVF, which statistically is nothing aside from zero.
Similarly, the researchers report that IVF conception had essentially no effect on the general literacy rating; the adjusted mean difference was 0.03.
Lanski says the outcomes needs to be reassuring for people considering IVF. “I see the value of the study.” The findings “are probably very reassuring … if you want to start a family and it's medically recommended.”
Not all IVF techniques are the identical, and researchers need to delve deeper to find out any differences between them. For example, Kennedy says, “We plan to look at the same outcomes in school children following specific IVF-related techniques.”