[Research progress on the safety of offsprings conceived by assisted reproductive technology]

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) employs superovulation, in vitro culture and other micromanipulation to complete oocyte maturation, fertilization and early embryo development. Although these techniques have been successfully applied to solve infertility problems, the process may interfere in cell proliferation, differentiation and growth. The clinical and laboratory studies on the safety issue of ART are reviewed in this article. Studies found that the incidence of birth defects increased in ART offspring. Superovulation, in vitro culture and intracytoplasmic sperm injection may induce epigenetic aberrations during embryo development, which would influence the development of ART conceived children. The epigenetic susceptibility related to ART might be transmitted to subsequent generations, and the potential impact on ART offspring still need further investigation. In addition, ART treatments may also increase the risk of genetic diseases.