IVF-Assisted Conception and School-Age Childhood Development: Reassuring Findings

Published on 13 March 2023 at 17:12

In a landmark study involving over 400,000 children, including 11,000 conceived through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), researchers have delivered reassuring news. Published in PLOS Medicine, the study, a collaborative effort by major IVF units in Victoria—Melbourne IVF, Monash IVF, and City Fertility Centre—found no link between IVF conception and adverse developmental outcomes for school-age children.

Extensive Collaboration and Data Inclusion

The study, led by Dr Amber Kennedy and Dr Anthea Lindquist, harnessed data from children born between 2005 and 2013, with 11,059 of them conceived via IVF. Utilizing the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) and the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), the researchers comprehensively assessed childhood developmental and educational outcomes.

No Discernible Difference in Performance

Contrary to previous, albeit limited, evidence suggesting potential differences in school-aged outcomes for IVF-conceived children, this exhaustive analysis uncovered no discernible difference in performance. The study scrutinized the five domains of the AEDC and NAPLAN scores, finding parity between children born through IVF-assisted conception and those conceived without assistance.

Reassurance for Clinicians and Parents

Dr Kennedy highlighted the significance of these findings, stating, “Our comprehensive analysis of this massive dataset has found this not to be the case.” The results offer crucial reassurance for clinicians, as well as current and future parents of IVF-conceived children. As IVF continues to be a prevalent method of conception, constituting five percent of Australian children, these findings contribute valuable insights into the developmental outcomes of children conceived through this assisted reproductive technology.

 

Reference: No link between IVF-assisted conception and school-age childhood development outcomes, study says (unimelb.edu.au)

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