Impact of assisted reproduction techniques on the neuro-psycho-motor outcome of newborns: a critical appraisal

J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022 Aug 12:1-5. doi: 10.1080/01443615.2022.2109953. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTSubfertility and infertility are common problems among couples of reproductive age, and they increasingly require the use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Understandably, doubts about the safety of such methods are increasing among future parents. The purpose of this review is to analyse the real impact of ART, such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), on the health of the unborn baby; in particular, this work is focussed on the problems related to the neuro-psycho-motor area. Twenty-four studies were reviewed and outcomes investigated were: risk of the onset of neurodevelopmental diseases, worsening of school cognitive performance and risk of developing infantile cerebral palsy (CP) or neurological sequelae. For the first two outcomes, we did not find a correlation with ART; nevertheless, the results of the included studies about risk of CP are discordant and influenced by various confounding factors, such as pre-term birth and multiple pregnancies.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are the main answer for achieving pregnancy in infertile couples. However, a wide number of studies have tried to focus on possible different outcomes in terms of maternal and foetal/new-born health. Regarding this scenario, a peculiar importance is given to diseases affecting the neuro-ps...
Source: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Source Type: research