Association of assisted reproductive technology with autism spectrum disorder in the offspring: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: The present meta-analysis confirmed the existing positive correlation between ART and ASD in offspring, suggesting that ART is correlated with a higher risk for bearing a child with ASD. In contrast, this relationship is not confirmed in singletons. High quality prospective studies with a larger number of participants are still required.What is Known:• Studies that investigated the association between ART and ASD in offspring have shown conflicting results.• A previous meta-analysis showed that offspring conceived by ART are 1.35 times more likely to develop ASD than offspring spontaneously conceived.What is New:• This investigation separately considered studies with and without adjustment for confounders.• The findings from the two analyses were similar.
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research