Assisted Reproductive Technology and Developmental Outcomes.

Abstract

* Abbreviation: ART — : assisted reproductive technology Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), including in vitro fertilization with fresh or frozen embryos as well as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, have come into increasing use in Western nations since the late 1970s. Pregnancies resulting from ART are more likely to result in stillbirth, multiple gestation, preterm delivery, and low birth weight, with higher rates of adverse outcomes after procedures that involve the placing of either a single embryo or multiple embryos.1 Infant mortality rates are higher as well, whereas evidence for an increased risk of specific birth defects is equivocal.2–4 Research on child health and developmental outcomes is more limited, and for this reason, the study by Hansen et al5 is a welcome addition to our literature. Hansen et al5 use population-based data from Western Australia garnered through probabilistic record linkage based … Address correspondence to Russell S. Kirby, PhD, MS, FACE, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612. E-mail: rkirby{at}health.usf.edu