Academic performance in adolescents born after ART-a nationwide registry-based cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Pediatric Health
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Previous studies indicated similar IQ levels in children conceived via ART and SC.
• Limited research exists on adolescent academic performance following ART conception.
• Standardized national test scores in ART adolescents have not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the academic performance of adolescents conceived via ART with spontaneously conceived (SC) adolescents.
• To investigate differences in ninth-grade test scores between ART-conceived and SC individuals.
• To assess the impact of ART on academic achievement in a national cohort.

Main Methods:

• A Danish national registry-based cohort study compared 4766 ART adolescents (singletons and twins) with SC control groups (singletons and twins).
• Academic performance was measured using ninth-grade test scores on a 7-point scale.
• Adjustments were made for reproductive and socio-demographic covariates, including parental education and occupation.

Main Results:

• Crude mean test scores were higher for ART singletons and twins compared to SC controls.
• Adjusted analyses revealed significantly lower mean test scores for ART singletons versus SC singletons, particularly in mathematics and physics/chemistry.
• The adjusted mean difference in test scores for ART singletons was small and considered of minimal clinical relevance, especially when compared to the impact of parental education.

Conclusions:

• While ART singletons exhibited slightly lower adjusted academic test scores, the differences were small and likely not clinically significant.
• The higher educational attainment of parents who conceived via ART may counterbalance any potential negative effects of subfertility or ART treatment.
• Findings suggest that ART conception does not substantially impact adolescent academic performance when considering parental factors.