Comparing indicators of health and development of singleton young adults conceived with and without assisted reproductive technology

Jane Halliday; Cate Wilson; Karin Hammarberg; Lex W Doyle; Fiona Bruinsma; Robert McLachlan; John McBain; Turi Berg; Jane R Fisher; David Amor

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.01.006

Comparing indicators of health and development of singleton young adults conceived with and without assisted reproductive technology

Fertil Steril. 2014 Apr;101(4):1055-63. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.01.006. Epub 2014 Feb 19.

Authors

Jane Halliday¹, Cate Wilson², Karin Hammarberg³, Lex W Doyle⁴, Fiona Bruinsma², Robert McLachlan⁵, John McBain⁶, Turi Berg⁷, Jane R Fisher⁸, David Amor⁹

Affiliations

¹ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. Electronic address: janehalliday.h@mcri.edu.au.
² Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton, Australia.
³ Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.
⁵ Monash IVF, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Australia; Prince Henry's Institute and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clayton, Australia; Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Australia.
⁶ Reproductive Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia; Melbourne IVF, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.
⁸ School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁹ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.

PMID: 24559723
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.01.006

Abstract

Objective: To compare outcomes for young adults conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) with non-ART-conceived young adults.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Not applicable.

Participant(s): Mothers and their offspring (aged 18-28 years) conceived by ART; mothers and their non-ART-conceived offspring, randomly selected from the same source population.

Intervention(s): Structured telephone interviews, one with mothers and another with their young adult offspring.

Main outcome measure(s): Maternal report on young adult offspring hospitalizations and chronic illness accumulated over the first 18 years of their lives; young adult self-report on perceived current quality of life, body mass index, pubertal development, and educational achievement.

Result(s): Of 1,480 eligible ART mothers, 80% were traced and contacted. Of those, 656 (55%) participated, reporting on 705 ART-conceived offspring; 269 (23%) declined participation and 262 (22%) did not respond. Of the participants, 84% consented to contact with their young adult offspring, of whom 547 (92%) participated. Random-digit dialing recruited 868 non-ART mothers and 549 offspring. Compared with non-ART young adults, the ART group had significant increases in three maternally reported outcomes: 1) hospital admissions, including those in the secondary school years; 2) atopic respiratory conditions; and 3) combined endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic disease ICD-10 category. Young adult reported outcomes were similar for both groups.

Conclusion(s): This study addresses gaps in knowledge of outcomes beyond adolescence for those conceived by ART. Results show few adverse outcomes in this large cohort of young adults, but additional assessment through clinical review is required to address issues unable to be examined in this study.

Keywords: Assisted reproductive techniques; chronic disease; cohort study; quality of life; young adults.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Body Mass Index*
Chronic Disease / epidemiology*
Educational Status
Female
Health Status*
Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Male
Quality of Life*
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / statistics & numerical data*
Victoria / epidemiology
Young Adult