Refuting the Association Between Assisted Reproductive Technology and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) rates have risen concurrently.
• Concerns exist regarding a potential association between ART and ASD development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between ART and ASD using a case-control study.
• To determine if ART influences ASD gender distribution or severity.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study comparing 319 children with ASD to 319 age-matched typically developing children.
• Analysis adjusted for gender, ART type, and ASD severity.
• Statistical analysis included odds ratios and confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• ART use rates were similar between ASD (8.5%) and typically developing (9.4%) groups.
• No significant association found between ART and ASD diagnosis (aOR = 0.537, 95% CI 0.110-3.383).
• Hormonal treatment and in vitro fertilization (IVF) also showed no significant association with ASD.

Conclusions:

• ART is not more common in children with ASD compared to controls.
• ART does not correlate with gender or severity of ASD.
• Findings reassure against a significant association between ART and ASD.