The study did find a moderately higher rate of malformations among the ICSI children and this aspect of the study is still being analysed at the time of writing this release. But, the researchers believe that the apparent increase could be due to selection bias in the control group of children.
Results from this international study are being presented for the first time at the late-breaking research session today (Wednesday 2 July) of the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
The multi-centre EU supported-study involved researchers and children from five countries – Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Sweden and the UK. It compared 541 ICSI and 440 IVF children with 542 normally conceived children and followed them up to the age of five. It was initiated by University College London paediatrician Dr Alastair Sutcliffe in response to concerns about the safety of assisted reproductive techniques, particularly ICSI. The study examined the obstetric and neonatal outcomes, malformations, and physical, cognitive, emotional psychological and social development of the children. It also examined the family relationships.
At a news briefing today in Madrid, co-investigator Professor Christina Bergh from Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg, Sweden, said: "This study is the most comprehensive ever done on IVF and ICSI children. Overall, the results are reassuring and lay to rest the fears that have been expressed about the health and welfare of children conceived through IVF and ICSI. It confirms the reassuring findings provided last year by a smaller, less extensive Australian study led by Dr Garth Leslie of Sydney University."
Professor Bergh outlined some of the key findings:
The study found that, on measures of commitment to work and parenting, ICSI mothers were more committed to their role as parents than were the IVF mothers and the controls: fathers of ICSI children were more committed to parenting than were the controls.
Professor Bergh concluded: "The results for cognitive and motor development were very reassuring and the evidence was that IVF/ICSI families are coping well. We could not identify any strains in marital or parent-child relationships and there were no additional risks of negative socio-emotional impact for either parents or children."
Abstract nos: O-281, O-282, O-283, O-284, O-285, Session 67 (Wednesday, starts 15.30hrs CET, Auditorium A -– Europa)
[1] IVF: in vitro fertilisation – fertilisation of an egg by sperm in a laboratory dish. ICSI: intracytoplasmic sperm injection – process by which an egg is fertilised by injecting a single sperm into the egg.
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