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Decreased bone ultrasound velocity in premature infants conceived with assisted reproduction
Didem Armangil1, Tuğba Gürsoy, Ayşe Korkmaz
1Koru Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. darmangil@gmail.com.
Insights
Infants conceived via assisted reproduction treatments (ART) show lower bone strength, measured by tibial speed of sound (SOS), compared to naturally conceived infants. Bone SOS also declines in early infancy, highlighting developmental differences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Reproductive Medicine
- Biophysics
Background:
- Assisted reproduction treatments (ART) are increasingly common.
- Children born via ART are often taller than naturally conceived (NC) children.
- Bone strength assessment in neonates is crucial for understanding early development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bone strength differences in neonates conceived via ART versus NC.
- To test the hypothesis that ART infants would exhibit higher bone strength (tibial speed of sound).
Main Methods:
- Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) was used to measure tibial initial speed of sound (iSOS) in neonates.
- Measurements were taken within 96 hours of birth and serially until hospital discharge.
- A cohort of 37 ART neonates and 51 NC neonates was studied.
Main Results:
- ART infants had significantly lower iSOS levels (2823.41±110.8 m/sec) compared to NC infants (2917.14±145.6 m/sec) (p=0.001).
- A decrease in SOS levels was observed in a majority of infants (39/53) with serial scans.
- The decline in bone SOS was statistically significant between the first and last scan (p<0.02).
Conclusions:
- Contrary to the hypothesis, ART infants demonstrated lower bone strength than NC infants.
- Bone SOS decreases during early postnatal life.
- The ex utero environment may lead to metabolic alterations affecting bone development, even with advanced care.
Abstract:
Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurement of tibial speed of sound (SOS) can be used to determine bone strength. Children conceived with assisted reproduction treatments (ART) are taller than naturally conceived (NC) children, so we hypothesized that these infants would have higher SOS levels than NC infants. Thirty-seven ART (ART group) and 51 NC neonates (NC group) were included in the study. Tibial initial SOS (iSOS) was measured within 96 hours of birth using QUS. Measurements were performed weekly until the infant was discharged from the hospital. The iSOS levels of the ART group (2823.41±110.8 m/sec) were lower than those of the NC group (2917.14±145.6 m/sec) (p=0.001). A decrease in SOS levels was observed in 39 of 53 infants who had serial scans. The difference in SOS levels between the first and last scan was significant (p<0.02). In vitro manipulation during the periconceptual period can result in metabolic alterations in bone mineral content. Contrary to our null hypothesis, bone SOS of infants in the ART group was found to be lower than in the NC group. Moreover, bone SOS decreases in early postnatal life. This result emphasizes the fact that even with advances in nutritional care, the ex utero environment remains a poor substitute for in utero development.
