Infertility Treatments and Long-Term Neurologic Morbidity of the Offspring

Shai Levin; Eyal Sheiner; Tamar Wainstock; Asnat Walfisch; Idit Segal; Daniella Landau; Ruslan Sergienko; Eliahu Levitas; Avi Harlev

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1675159

American Journal of Perinatology, Table of Contents

Am J Perinatol 2019; 36(09): 949-954
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1675159

Original Article

Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Infertility Treatments and Long-Term Neurologic Morbidity of the Offspring

Shai Levin

¹Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Eyal Sheiner

²Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Tamar Wainstock

³Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Asnat Walfisch

²Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Idit Segal

⁴Department of Medical Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel

,

Daniella Landau

⁵Department of Neonatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Ruslan Sergienko

³Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Eliahu Levitas

²Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

,

Avi Harlev

²Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective To determine the risk of long-term neurologic morbidity among children (up to 18 years) born following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or ovulation induction (OI) treatments as compared with spontaneously conceived.

Study Design A population-based cohort analysis was performed, including data from the perinatal computerized database on all singleton infants born at the Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) between the years 1991 and 2014. This perinatal database was linked and cross-matched with the SUMC computerized dataset of all pediatric hospitalizations.

Results Neurologic morbidity was significantly more common in IVF (3.7%) and OI (4.1%) offspring as compared with those following spontaneous pregnancies (3.1%; p = 0.017). In particular, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders and headaches were more common in the OI group and sleep disorders in the IVF group, whereas autism and cerebral palsy were comparable between the groups. In the Weibull multivariable analysis, while controlling for maternal age, preterm delivery, birthweight centile, maternal diabetes, and hypertensive disorders, IVF (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–1.71; p = 0.001), but not OI (adjusted HR: 1.17' 95% CI: 0.92–1.48; p = 0.196), was noted as an independent risk factor for long-term pediatric neurologic morbidity.

Conclusion IVF offspring appear to be at an increased risk of long-term neurologic morbidity up to 18 years of age.

Keywords

long-term pediatric neurologic morbidity - fertility treatments - in vitro fertilization - ovulation induction

Full Text

References

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material