3/2007 Health and development of children born after treatment of infertility

PAULA SZOŁOMICKA-KURZAWA (Samodzielna Pracownia Propedeutyki Chorób Dzieci Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej; Kierownik: dr n. med. Barbara Garanty-Bogacka)

Background
Treatment of infertility with assisted reproduction techniques (ART) has become more popular lately. ART is associated with high success rates, with more than million deliveries. Children born after ART will soon become standard patients of a general practitioner.

Material and methods
Analysis of papers from the last 5 years and own data regarding the safety and health hazards to children born after ART. The analysis covered deliveries of children conceived after IVF (including ICSI) in 2004–2007 in the Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin.

Results
In the light of own results we show that the health hazards are only slightly increased following ART than in general population. The risk depends on the treatment method, the age of parents and the complications of pregnancy and labor. They include congenital malformations and prematurity without coexisting malformations.

Key words: in vitro fertilization, children, congenital malformations, low birth weight