Perinatal complications of assisted reproduction

The main perinatal complications of assisted reproduction include congenital malformation, chromosomal aberrations, multiple pregnancy, and prematurity. Earlier studies and in vitro fertilization (IVF) registries showed that there was no increased incidence of congenital malformations in children conceived by IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). However, a large Australian study has found that by one year of age, the incidence of congenital malformations in IVF/ICSI children is increased in comparison with those naturally conceived. Several investigators found a slight but increased risk of chromosomal aberrations in ICSI children. Multiple pregnancy is a major cause of increased perinatal mortality due to increased incidence of both prematurity and congenital malformations. Even in singleton pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive technologies, the risk of prematurity and newborns small for gestational age is increased. In this article, recently published work on perinatal complications associated with assisted reproductive technologies is reviewed.