Reproductive Outcomes for Children Born Following ICSI - Australia Data

Abstract

Since its introduction for male factor infertility, the use of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased. Given the strong genetic basis of male infertility, the risk of transmitting infertility to future generations is concerning. Furthermore, offspring health is affected by paternal health and sperm quality, irrespective of genetic causes of infertility. Concerns regarding the use of ICSI include the heritability of infertility, the effects of poor-quality spermatozoa on offspring health, and the potential for the technique itself to induce epigenetic changes with long-term health effects. Given the prevalence of male infertility and the widespread use of ICSI, understanding the possible adverse health effects is an important clinical and public health issue. Additionally, the mechanisms responsible for potential adverse health outcomes remain unclear and efforts to separate the effects of paternal infertility from treatment factors are necessary. This session will present current literature on the reproductive health of children conceived using ICSI with an emphasis on Australian data. The results of an Australian study evaluating the reproductive health of a cohort of young men conceived with ICSI will be presented. The findings of this study, the largest to date globally, contribute to a limited pool of knowledge on the reproductive function of men conceived with ICSI and the collective understanding of the overall health of adults conceived with ICSI.