Safety and Risks · Birth Defects
Vermeiden JP et al., 2013 · Fertility and sterility
To review the literature and present original data to answer the question of whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is associated with an increase in imprinted diseases in offspring. If the answer is positive, to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between IVF or ICSI and the imprinted diseases. Review study. RESULT(S): Eight epidemiologic studies were suitable to calculate the weighted relative risk for the birth of a child with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome following IVF or ICSI compared with the risk in the normal population. This relative risk was 5.2 (95% CI 1.6-7.4). In one study the relative risk was corrected for parents' fertility problems and no significant association was found. Data on the Silver-Russell syndrome are too sparse to draw conclusions, but a positive association with IVF or ICSI treatment is probable. No significant associations were found between the incidences of the Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes and IVF or ICSI treatments. Children with Prader-Willi syndrome or Angelman syndrome are more likely to be born to parents with fertility problems. All retinoblastomas in children born after IVF or ICSI could be explained by de novo mutations in the RB1 gene and were not associated with imprinted genes. Imprinted diseases result from methylation errors already present in sperms or oocytes. There is no proof of a causal relationship between imprinted diseases and IVF or ICSI treatments. CONCLUSION(S): Imprinting disorders are more prevalent after human IVF or ICSI. Future studies should correct for fertility problems in the affected and comparison groups. It is highly improbable that assisted reproduction technologies cause imprinted diseases in humans.
Safety and Risks · Birth Defects
Pinborg A et al., 2013 · Fertility and Sterility
Worldwide, more than 5 million children have been born after assisted reproductive technology (ART), and in many developed countries ART infants represent more than 1% of the birth cohorts. It is well known that ART children are at increased risk of congenital malformations even after adjustment for known confounders such as maternal age. The proportion of ART children is not negligible, and knowledge about the causes of the higher risk of congenital malformations is crucial to develop prevention strategies to reduce the future risk in ART children. The aim of this review is to summarize the literature on the association between ART and congenital anomalies with respect to subfertility, fertility treatment other than ART, and different ART methods including intracytoplasmic sperm injection, blastocyst culture, and cryotechniques. Trends over time in ART and congenital anomalies will also be discussed.
Safety and Risks · Birth Defects
Kuentz P et al., 2011 · Fertility and Sterility
To report a child with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) born after assisted reproductive technology (ART) to an HIV serodiscordant couple. Case report. Academic medical center.Patient(s)A child with BWS born after ART to an HIV serodiscordant couple.Intervention(s)Assisted reproductive techniques.Main outcome measure(s)ART and HIV.Result(s)Since 2003, it has been suggested that there is an association between ART and BWS, which is a congenital overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrosomia, macroglossia, visceromegaly, umbilical and abdominal wall abnormalities, and an increased risk of developing embryonal tumors in childhood. It is a multigenic disorder resulting from genetic or epigenetic alterations of genes on chromosome 11p15. Methylation errors account for 50%-60% of sporadic cases and almost 100% of cases born after ART. We report the birth of a child diagnosed with BWS arising from an ART cycle to an HIV serodiscordant couple with no history of infertility. This case cannot constitute conclusive evidence but it raises various questions.Conclusion(s)Assisted reproductive technology seems to be in the causal pathway but a male/female factor or an iatrogenic factor is also possible.
Safety and Risks · Birth Defects
Strawn EY et al., 2010 · Fertility and Sterility
To describe two children diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) arising from a spontaneous conception and an assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycle from one patient with a long-standing history of subfertility. Case report. Academic medical center.Patient(s)Two children with the morphologic features of BWS as a result of a spontaneous conception and an ART cycle from the same patient.Intervention(s)Assisted reproductive technology.Main outcome measure(s)Neonatal and pediatric morphologic evaluation by geneticists.Result(s)Two children with the morphologic features consistent with the criteria for the diagnosis of BWS.Conclusion(s)Patients with subfertility may be carriers for genetic disorders that can be passed to a child with or without the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The use of ART may bypass natural selection mechanisms.