Reproductive Technologies and the Risk of Birth Defects

Abstract

Understanding the risks of adverse outcomes such as birth defects after the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is crucial for both OB/GYN physicians and patients suffering from infertility. In a South Australian population cohort study of 308,974 spontaneous and assisted pregnancies between 1986 and 2002 in women over age 20, assisted conceptions were associated with an increased risk of birth defects, including cerebral palsy, compared to spontaneous conceptions in fertile women (adjusted odds ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.16–1.41). However, when examining in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancies, only ICSI with fresh transfer remained associated with an increased risk of birth defects compared to spontaneous conceptions in fertile women in adjusted models. These findings suggest that while patients should be counseled regarding the potential increased risk of birth defects with ART procedures such as ICSI, more research is needed regarding the impact of infertility itself and specific ART interventions on neonatal outcomes.