Long-term health implications for children conceived by IVF/ICSI

In vitro fertilisation and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection are well recognised techniques for assisted reproduction, helping over 85% of infertile couples conceive within a year, contributing to over 1% of the annual birth rate in the western world. There is currently limited data on the health of these children in later life as the techniques are relatively new. Certain trends have started to emerge with high order births proving to be responsible for a large proportion of premature and low-birth weight infants. The increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with singleton births has been linked to the infertility of the couple rather than the techniques used. This theory has also been suggested to account for the increase in congenital malformations observed. No discrepancies in neurodevelopmental outcome of these children have been established and no detrimental psychological effects on the families have been reported. There has been an increase in childhood illness observed and the future fertility of these children is a major concern for many parents. Further follow up of these children is needed to fully establish the long-term health implications of in vitro fertilisation and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.