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Neural tube defects after infertility treatment: a review
K Van Loon1, K Besseghir, A Eshkol
1Ares Serono DER/Epidemiology, Geneva, Switzerland.
Objective:
To investigate whether an association exists between ovulation induction and neural tube defects (NTDs).
Materials And Methods:
Risk estimations in the medical literature were identified through Medline, and validity and power were assessed. Large in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) registries represent another source of information. The total number of NTDs and the total number of fetuses were computed from five registries. These data were expressed as proportions and compared with data from the general population.
Results:
Only one study could be identified as both valid and powerful, through literature review. This case-control study concluded there was no association between ovulation induction and NTDs. The pool of IVF-ET registry data represents another powerful epidemiologic tool. Analysis of the registry data confirms the findings of the case-control study.
Conclusions:
Ovulation induction does not seem to represent a risk factor for NTDs in the offspring.