Assessment of psychomotor development of Spanish children up to 3 years of age conceived by assisted reproductive techniques: Prospective matched cohort study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: More than five million children have been conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART) around the world. Most authors agree that there are no differences in psychomotor development in comparison to naturally conceived children. However, these results are still contradictory. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether children born from a cohort of ART-clinical gestations have a higher risk of suffering neurodevelopmental disorders in comparison to a control group. The potential associated ART-factors associated were also determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included the assessment of children up to 3 years old conceived by ART, and born from a cohort of women treated by the reproduction unit of a public hospital from May 2012 to May 2014. A simultaneous assessment was made of matched controls, by following the newborn naturally conceived after the ART-case, of the same group of maternal age, gestational age, and type of gestation. RESULTS: There were 243 clinical gestations and 267 ART-newborns, of which 231 were assessed (87%). A simultaneous assessment was carried out in 208/230 controls (90%). There were no differences in neurodevelopmental disorders (global developmental delay, autism spectrum or language delay). Multivariate analysis of potential ART factors only showed an association between transfer of frozen embryos with language delay that has not been previously described. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences between groups after adjusting the results according to maternal age, multiple pregnancy, and other possible confounding factors, supporting that the role of these factors may be more relevant than the ART itself. The association between frozen embryo transfer and language delay has not been previously described. Thus, more studies are needed to confirm or refute this relationship.