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Increased time to pregnancy is associated with suboptimal neurological condition of 2-year-olds

Jorien Seggers1, Pamela Schendelaar, Arend F Bos

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Division of Developmental Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.

Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|March 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Longer time to pregnancy (TTP) in subfertile couples is linked to poorer neurological development in their children. This finding suggests subfertility may contribute to neurodevelopmental issues in offspring.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Subfertility affects a significant number of couples seeking assisted reproductive technologies.
  • The long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born after subfertility treatments are of growing interest.
  • Understanding factors influencing child development in this population is crucial for parental counseling and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between time to pregnancy (TTP) and the neurological condition of 2-year-old children born to subfertile parents.
  • To determine if TTP is a predictive factor for minor neurological dysfunction (MND) in offspring.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, assessor-blinded follow-up study of 209 singletons from the Groningen assisted reproductive technique cohort.
  • Cross-sectional analyses were performed using TTP data (in decimal years) from fertility charts.
  • Minor neurological dysfunction (MND) was assessed using the Hempel examination at 2 years of age.

Main Results:

  • Minor neurological dysfunction (MND) was identified in 7.7% of the children.
  • Children with MND exhibited a significantly longer TTP (median 4.1 years) compared to those without MND (median 2.8 years).
  • Logistic regression revealed a statistically significant association between increased TTP and MND, even after adjusting for gestational age, parental age, and education (OR=1.30).

Conclusions:

  • Increased time to pregnancy is associated with suboptimal neurological development in 2-year-old children.
  • These findings suggest that subfertility itself, or factors related to it, may play a role in the development of neurodevelopmental problems in offspring.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking subfertility and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Minor Neurological DysfunctionNeurological DevelopmentSubfertilityTime To Pregnancy

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