Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children Conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology
Summary
Assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), has enabled conception for millions of couples worldwide. Concerns have persisted regarding the long-term neurodevelopmental trajectory of children born via ART, encompassing cognitive function, motor skills, behavioural adjustment and psychiatric risk. The bulk of evidence, drawing on cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, indicates broadly comparable outcomes between ART-conceived and spontaneously conceived children by school age. Subtle variations have emerged in specific domains—such as fine motor performance, verbal reasoning in toddlers and timing of psychiatric diagnosis—which frequently attenuate over time or relate more closely to parental characteristics, multiple gestation and perinatal factors than to ART per se. Overall, the current literature offers reassurance about cognitive and educational attainment, highlights the importance of adjusting for confounding factors and underscores the need for continued surveillance as ART methods diversify and expand globally.
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Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children Conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children conceived via assisted reproductive technology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Assisted reproductive technology (ART): Medical interventions used to achieve pregnancy, including techniques such as in vitro fertilisation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF): Laboratory fertilisation of an egg by sperm outside the body, followed by embryo transfer to the uterus.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): Micromanipulation technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into an oocyte to overcome male-factor infertility.
Cognitive development: Progression of mental processes such as reasoning, memory, problem-solving and language acquisition.
Externalising behaviour: Observable conduct problems such as aggression and hyperactivity typically assessed through parent- or teacher-rated questionnaires.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Psychiatric condition characterised by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions) aimed at reducing distress.
References
- School-age outcomes among IVF-conceived children: A population-wide cohort study. PLOS Medicine (2023).
- Intelligence, motoric and psychological outcomes in children from different ART treatments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (2023).
- Long-term Follow-up of Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents Conceived by Assisted Reproductive Techniques in Sweden. JAMA Psychiatry (2022).
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