Mode of Conception and Long-Term Infectious Morbidity of the Offspring; a Sibling Analysis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Genetics and Genomics

Background:

• Fertility treatments are increasingly common globally.
• Concerns exist regarding potential long-term health impacts on offspring conceived via assisted reproductive technologies.
• Sibling-matched studies offer robust control for genetic and environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between mode of conception (fertility treatment vs. spontaneous) and long-term infectious morbidity in offspring.
• To utilize a sibling-matched analysis to minimize confounding variables.
• To assess infectious morbidity up to 18 years of age.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective population-based cohort study of sibling deliveries (1991-2021).
• Inclusion of 14,336 siblings, with follow-up until age 18.
• Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox regression models were employed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in cumulative incidence of infectious morbidity between siblings conceived via fertility treatments and spontaneously conceived siblings (Log-Rank p=0.614).
• Fertility treatment was not independently associated with long-term infectious morbidity (adjusted HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-1.00, p=0.063).
• Analysis controlled for maternal age, gestational age, and follow-up time.

Conclusions:

• Fertility treatments do not appear to be an independent risk factor for long-term infectious morbidity in offspring up to 18 years of age.
• Sibling-matched analysis provides strong evidence supporting the safety of fertility treatments regarding offspring infectious health.
• These findings contribute to counseling for individuals undergoing fertility treatments.