Parental infertility and developmental coordination disorder in children

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Pediatric Neurology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Previous studies suggest a slight delay in motor milestones for children born after infertility treatment.
• This study investigates the risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) in children of infertile couples, with or without treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if children born to infertile couples, irrespective of treatment, have an increased risk of DCD.
• To explore the association between time to pregnancy (TTP), infertility treatments, and DCD risk.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002) on 23,167 singletons.
• Collected data on parental infertility, TTP, and infertility treatments during early pregnancy.
• Assessed DCD risk in 7-year-old children using the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire completed by mothers.

Main Results:

• Children conceived after a TTP >12 months had a modestly increased risk of DCD (OR 1.35, CI 1.03-1.77).
• No significant association was found between infertility treatment and DCD risk (OR 1.19, CI 0.86-1.66).
• Unplanned pregnancies and specific infertility treatments did not show an elevated DCD risk.

Conclusions:

• Findings are generally reassuring regarding DCD risk in children of infertile couples.
• A potential modest increase in DCD risk may be associated with low fecundity.