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A Cohort Study Comparing the Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Babies Conceived by Assisted Reproductive
Saugata Acharyya1, Kakoli Acharyya2
1Department of Pediatrics, Calcutta Medical Research Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700027, India. acharyyasaugata@yahoo.com.
Insights
Infants conceived via assisted reproduction showed initial delays in growth and neurodevelopment. However, these differences resolved by 24 months, with outcomes normalizing compared to naturally conceived infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric developmental science
- Reproductive medicine
Background:
- Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is increasingly used globally.
- Long-term developmental outcomes for ART-conceived infants require continued investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of term, singleton infants conceived via assisted reproduction versus natural conception.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study design was employed.
- Growth was assessed by wasting (Weight/Length < -2SD) at 6, 12, and 24 months.
- Neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II), defining delay as motor or mental developmental quotient < 70.
Main Results:
- At 6 and 12 months, ART-conceived infants exhibited significantly higher rates of wasting and delays in motor and mental development compared to naturally conceived infants (p < 0.05).
- By 24 months, no statistically significant differences in growth or neurodevelopmental outcomes were observed between the two groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
- ART-conceived infants may experience transient growth and neurodevelopmental delays in early infancy.
- These developmental trajectories normalize by 24 months, indicating catch-up growth and development comparable to naturally conceived peers.
Objective:
To compare the growth and neurodevelopmental outcome of term, singleton babies conceived by assisted reproduction with those of naturally conceived babies.
Methods:
A cohort study evaluating the growth delay in terms of proportion of babies with wasting (W/L < -2SD) at 6, 12 and 24 mo follow-up. Developmental delay was defined as either motor or mental developmental quotient < 70 in DASII.
Results:
Amongst the 128 artificially conceived babies, at 6 and 12 mo, the proportions of babies with wasting (21.1% and 17.2%), motor (7.03%, 6.3%), and mental developmental delays (5.5% and 3.9%) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to the naturally conceived babies (10.94%, 8.6%, 1.6%, 0.8%, 0.8% and 0%, respectively). However, at 24 mo, the difference in outcomes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
The growth and neurodevelopment of artificially conceived babies may be delayed in early infancy but they normalize to catch up with their naturally conceived peers by 24 mo.
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