Pubertal development in ICSI children

The Long-Term Outcome of Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproductive Technology

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) led to the birth of 60,381 infants in 2020 in Japan. This number is set to increase as the future interest in ART is anticipated to rise. Couples receiving ART are monitoring the outcomes of these treatments to see whether any differences exist between babies conceived naturally and those conceived via ART. This study investigated the relationship between the long-term outcome of children born from ART with a focus on physical and psychomotor developments. A large volume of data concerning each relationship with ART was collected from various observational studies. Several findings indicate that, over time, the physical characteristics of babies born by ART, and those born naturally are comparable. However, some reports indicate that, until they reach school age, there may be a small difference in growth. ART and naturally conceived children do not vary in academic achievement or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Taken together, it is difficult to conclude with certainty that ART is the source of these differences since they may arise from the child's genetic factors or their environment.

Long-term health risk of offspring born from assisted reproductive technologies

Since the world's first in vitro fertilization baby was born in 1978, there have been more than 8 million children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) worldwide, and a significant proportion of them have reached puberty or young adulthood. Many studies have found that ART increases the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, small size for gestational age, perinatal mortality, and congenital anomalies. However, data regarding the long-term outcomes of ART offspring are limited. According to the developmental origins of health and disease theory, adverse environments during early life stages may induce adaptive changes and subsequently result in an increased risk of diseases in later life. Increasing evidence also suggests that ART offspring are predisposed to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, such as malignancies, asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the risks for long-term health in ART offspring, discuss the underlying mechanisms, including underlying parental infertility, epigenetic alterations, non-physiological hormone levels, and placental dysfunction, and propose potential strategies to optimize the management of ART and health care of parents and children to eliminate the associated risks. Further ongoing follow-up and research are warranted to determine the effects of ART on the long-term health of ART offspring in later life.

V, Joseph D, Meitei HY, Asampille G, Kumar P, Gowda G. A. N, Kalthur G, Kovacic B, Adiga SK. ICSI in non-male factor infertility patients does not alter metabolomic signature in sibling embryos as evidenced by sensitivity enhanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was developed to overcome male factor infertility, however, there recently has been an increasing trend in ICSI usage irrespective of the etiology, demonstrating an overuse of this insemination technique. There is a limited knowledge on the behaviour of ICSI derived embryos in non-male factor infertility patients. Metabolomic assessment of preimplantation embryos in conjunction with morphological evaluation can provide better understanding of embryonic behaviour. Hence, this study was undertaken to explore if there are any metabolomic differences between IVF and ICSI derived sibling day-5 blastocysts from non-male factor infertility patients. This prospective study included nineteen couples with non-male factor infertility undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology. The sibling oocytes retrieved from each patient were randomly assigned to two groups and inseminated either by IVF or ICSI. Spent culture media (SCM) in which embryos were cultured up to day 5 were collected and investigated using sensitivity enhanced NMR based metabolite profiling utilizing high resolution (800 MHz) NMR equipped with cryogenically cooled micro-coil (1.7 mm) probe. The metabolomic signature between IVF and ICSI derived sibling blastocysts was assessed. A significant reduction in the concentrations of pyruvate, citrate, glucose and lysine were observed in both IVF and ICSI sibling embryos compared to medium control (P< 0.05–0.001). Further, histidine and valine level was found lower in ICSI embryos compared to medium control (P<0.05) during 96 hours of in vitro culture. Notably, between IVF and ICSI SCM, no significant difference in the concentration of the metabolites was found. Our results suggest that ICSI in non-male factor does not alter the SCM metabolomic signature during 96 hours of embryonic development.

Puberty disorders among ART-conceived singletons: a Nordic register study from the CoNARTaS group

STUDY QUESTION

Do ART-conceived children have an increased risk for puberty disorders?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Both ART-conceived boys and girls had a higher risk of puberty disorders; early puberty was more common among girls and late puberty among boys.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Some physiological differences in growth and metabolism have been reported for ART-conceived children compared to non-ART-conceived children. Knowledge on pubertal development and disorders in ART-conceived children is limited.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

A register-based cohort study was carried out including data from 1985 to 2015. The Committee of Nordic Assisted Reproductive Technology and Safety (CoNARTaS) study population consists of all live and stillborn children, as well as their mothers, registered in the Medical Birth Registers during the study period in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

A total of 122 321 ART-conceived singletons and 6 576 410 non-ART singletons born in Denmark (1994–2014), Finland (1990–2014), Norway (2002–2015) and Sweden (1985–2015) were included. Puberty disorders were defined using International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-9/ICD-10 codes and classified in the following groups: late puberty (6268/E30.0), early puberty (2591 and 2958/E30.1 and E30.8) and unspecified disorders (V212 and V579/E30.9 and Z00.3 as well as Z51.80 for Finland). The results in Cox regression were adjusted for maternal age, parity, smoking, gestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and country, and further for either gestational age, birthweight, small for gestational age or large for gestational age.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

There were 37 869 children with diagnoses related to puberty disorders, and 603 of them were born after ART. ART-conceived children had higher risks for early (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.45, 95% CI: 1.29–1.64) and late puberty (aHR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.21–1.77). Girls had more diagnoses related to early puberty (aHR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.29–1.66) and boys with late puberty (aHR 1.55, 95% CI: 1.24–1.95).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Using reported puberty disorders with ICD codes in health care registers might vary, which may affect the numbers of cases found in the registers. Register data may give an underestimation both among ART and non-ART-conceived children, especially among non-ART children, who may not be as carefully followed as ART-conceived children. Adjustment for causes and duration of infertility, mothers’ own puberty characteristics and BMI, as well as children’s BMI, was not possible because data were not available or data were missing for the early years. It was also not possible to compare ART to non-ART siblings or to study the pubertal disorders by cause of subfertility owing to a small number of discordant sibling pairs and a large proportion of missing data on cause of subfertility.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

This large, register-based study suggests that ART-conceived children have a higher risk for puberty disorders. However, the mechanisms of infertility and pubertal onset are complex, and ART is a rapidly advancing field with various treatment options. Studying the pubertal disorders of ART-conceived offspring is a continuing challenge.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was supported by the Nordic Trial Alliance: a pilot project jointly funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and NordForsk (71450), the Central Norway Regional Health Authorities (46045000), the Nordic Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (NF13041, NF15058, NF16026 and NF17043), the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak European Regional Development Fund (ReproUnion project), the Research Council of Norway’s Centre of Excellence funding scheme (262700), the Swedish state under the agreement between the Swedish government and the county councils, the ALF-agreement (ALFGBG-70940) and FLUX Consortium ‘Family Formation in Flux—Causes, Consequences and Possible Futures’, funded by the Strategic Research Council, Academy of Finland (DEMOGRAPHY 345130). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Sex differences in the intergenerational inheritance of metabolic traits

Strong evidence suggests that early-life exposures to suboptimal environmental factors, including those in utero, influence our long-term metabolic health. This has been termed developmental programming. Mounting evidence suggests that the growth and metabolism of male and female fetuses differ. Therefore, sexual dimorphism in response to pre-conception or early-life exposures could contribute to known sex differences in susceptibility to poor metabolic health in adulthood. However, until recently, many studies, especially those in animal models, focused on a single sex, or, often in the case of studies performed during intrauterine development, did not report the sex of the animal at all. In this review, we (a) summarize the evidence that male and females respond differently to a suboptimal pre-conceptional or in utero environment, (b) explore the potential biological mechanisms that underlie these differences and (c) review the consequences of these differences for long-term metabolic health, including that of subsequent generations.

Placental diseases associated with assisted reproductive technology

The placenta develops from the outer trophoblastic layer following the differentiation of the fertilized ovum and is therefore more susceptible to epigenetic regulatory changes caused by environmental interventions and influences during assisted reproductive technology. Furthermore, the placenta regulates the development of the fetal heart, brain, kidneys, bones, and other tissues and organs [1]. Placental dysplasia leads to poor perinatal outcomes as well as long-term health risks later in life, including neurodevelopmental disorders, tumors, and adult metabolic syndrome [2,3]. In view of the decisive role of the placenta during intrauterine fetal development, Graham J. Burton, an expert in placentology from the University of Cambridge, formally proposed the theory of "placenta-derived chronic diseases" in 2018 based on embryonic-derived diseases [4]. In this review, we summarized the changes in placental morphology and structure, growth dynamics, imprinted and non-imprinted genes, and other aspects attributable to assisted reproduction technology. Our review provides a theoretical basis for further research on placental changes caused by assisted reproductive technology that are most strongly associated with an increased risk of neonatal long-term diseases.

Pubertal development and reproductive hormone levels of singleton ICSI offspring in adolescence: results of a prospective controlled study

STUDY QUESTION

Are there any differences in the pubertal development and reproductive hormone status during adolescence between singletons following ICSI therapy or spontaneous conception (SC)?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Pubertal development and reproductive hormone levels are largely similar between ICSI and SC adolescents, except for a tendency towards lower inhibin B levels as well as significantly higher estradiol levels and a lower testosterone-to-estradiol-ratio in male adolescents.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Previous data are scarce and partly inconclusive regarding pubertal development in female ICSI adolescents as well as demonstrating a tendency towards lower inhibin B serum levels in male ICSI offspring.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Prospective controlled study including 274 singleton ICSI-conceived adolescents (141 girls, 133 boys) followed up for the third time, and 273 SC controls (142 girls, 131 boys) from seven German registration offices (Aachen, Eichstätt, Erfurt, Lübeck, Hamburg, Heidelberg and Schwerin).

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Pubertal development assessed by Tanner staging (breast, genital and pubic hair development), age at menarche and reproductive hormone levels were analyzed in ICSI and SC adolescents at the mean age of 16.5 years. Differences were analyzed by multinomial regression (Tanner stages) or t test and linear regression for hormonal assessments.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Both female and male ICSI and SC adolescents showed adequate pubertal maturation according to their age, and the mean age at menarche (at 12.7 versus 12.8 years) was similar. Tanner stages as well did not display any relevant or significant differences between the groups. Reproductive hormone levels in female adolescents not using hormonal contraception were largely similar before and after adjustment for several factors such as preterm birth, Tanner stages, BMI or physical activity. In male ICSI adolescents, a tendency towards lower inhibin B (−14.8 pg/ml, 95% CI: −34.2 to 4.6 pg/ml), significantly higher estradiol (2.6 ng/l, 95% CI: 0.0 to 5.2 ng/l) and a significantly lower testosterone-to estradiol ratio (−0.047, 95% CI: −0.089 to −0.004) was found.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The all-over response rate and the willingness to participate in the blood test and medical examination were very low in the control group. Participating control families may have greater health awareness, and selection bias cannot be ruled out. Hormonal data in the females were measured irrespective of the cycle day and restricted to those not using hormonal contraception. Some parameters from the questionnaire data such as usage of hormonal contraception might suffer from reporting bias. As this is an observational study, we can draw only limited causal conclusions from the findings.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Differences in male reproductive hormones may indicate altered testicular function. However, at this time possible consequences for later reproductive success are unknown.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

DFG research grant KA 1643/4-1. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Parental time to pregnancy, medically assisted reproduction and pubertal development in boys and girls

STUDY QUESTION

Does parental fertility, measured by time to pregnancy (TTP), or use of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) affect pubertal development in the offspring?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Neither TTP nor type of MAR treatment had clinically relevant implications for mean age at achieving individual pubertal milestones or overall timing of puberty in boys and girls.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Parental TTP and MAR have been associated with impaired semen quality in adult sons. Timing of puberty reflects earlier signals of reproductive health, but it remains unclear whether parental fertility or MAR affects pubertal development, especially in the growing generation of children conceived by IVF or ICSI.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

In this study, 15 819 children born by mothers in the Danish National Birth Cohort from 2000 to 2003 participated in a nationwide puberty cohort (participation rate = 70%). Parental TTP and use of MAR were reported by mothers in early pregnancy and children’s pubertal development data was self-recorded in web-based questionnaires from 11 years of age and 6 monthly throughout puberty (2012–2018).

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Pubertal development in children (of planned pregnancies, n = 13 285) born by untreated subfecund (TTP: 6–12 months) (n =2038), untreated severely subfeund (TTP: >12 months) (n = 1242), treated subfecund (n = 230) and treated severely subfecund (n = 1234) parents were compared to children born to more fertile parents (TTP: ≤5 months). We estimated mean monthly differences in mean age at achieving individual pubertal milestones (i.e. age at menarche, voice break, first ejaculation and Tanner stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 for breast or genital development and pubic hair growth) and a combined indicator of timing of puberty. Further, we compared mean age at achieving the individual pubertal milestones in children born by use of IVF or ICSI (n = 480) with children born by controlled ovarian stimulation or ovulation induction with or without intrauterine insemination (n = 902).

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

We found tendencies towards slightly later mean age at male pubertal timing and slightly earlier mean age at female pubertal timing among children born by untreated subfecund, treated subfecund, untreated severely subfecund and treated severely subfecund parents. There were no specific patterns with increasing TTP, use of MAR nor type of MAR treatment, and the magnitude of the mean differences for individual milestones and overall timing of puberty were small, i.e. 0.9 months (95% CI: −1.0; 2.8) for first ejaculation and −0.5 months (95% CI: −2.0; 1.0) months for age at menarche in boys and girls, respectively, born by treated severely subfecund parents when compared with children born by more fertile parents.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Non-differential misclassification of the self-reported information on parental TTP and pubertal development in the offspring may serve as an alternative explanation of the findings, possibly biasing the estimates towards the null. The information on pubertal development was collected from around 11 years of age and onwards.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

This study adds to the growing body of literature suggesting only limited harmful effects of parental subfecundity and MAR on offspring’s long-term growth and development.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research [DFF 4183-00152]; and the Faculty of Health at Aarhus University. The authors have no financial relationships or competing interests to disclose.

Ovarian Function in Adolescents Conceived Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To compare ovarian function between adolescents conceived using assisted reproductive technology (AcART) and adolescents who were conceived spontaneously (AcSP).

DESIGN

Multicenter study of ovarian function in AcART because of male or tubal infertility.

SETTING

University Hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

We evaluated 22 AcART and 53 AcSP at 1-2 years after menarche. The participants were born at term (≥37 weeks of gestation) with normal birth weights (≥2500 g) from singleton pregnancies.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Differences in ovulation, reproductive hormones, and ovarian morphology.

RESULTS

AcART had an older age of menarche than that of AcSP, even after adjusting for maternal age at menarche, gestational age, and birth weight (P = .027). AcART had lower incidence of ovulation (P = .021) and higher luteinizing hormone serum levels (P = .01) than those of AcSP. The incidence of oligomenorrhea and the cycle length were similar between AcART and AcSP. AcART had levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, inhibin B, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and androgens similar to those of AcSP. The ovarian morphology, ovarian volume, and follicle counts were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

AcART had later menarche, lower ovulation rates, and higher luteinizing hormone levels than those of AcSP. Future studies should investigate whether these findings are indicative of a risk of ovarian dysfunction later in life for AcART.

Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Young Adults Conceived by ICSI

BACKGROUND

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) conception presents the early embryo with a radically different environment, which may lead to permanent alterations to key cardiometabolic processes. Blood pressure, indicators of insulin resistance, and lipid profiles have previously been studied in offspring born after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and ICSI, with conflicting findings. Also, results in young adults born after ICSI are lacking.

AIM

We investigated if young adult men and women conceived by ICSI more frequently have metabolic syndrome and its individual features in comparison to spontaneously conceived controls.

DESIGN

Cardiometabolic and anthropometric parameters from 126 longitudinally followed young adults conceived by ICSI were compared to those of 133 controls.

RESULTS

At age 18 years, only 1 of the participants displayed the metabolic syndrome (1 control woman). Mean concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and blood pressure were comparable between the ICSI conceived and control participants. A higher proportion (19.6%) of men conceived by ICSI had low (<40 mg/dl) HDL cholesterol compared to controls (5.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

While men conceived by ICSI, but not women, had lower mean HDL cholesterol concentrations in comparison to controls, other markers of the metabolic syndrome were not affected by the mode of conception.

The safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and long-term outcomes

The pioneering of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) approximately 25 years ago revolutionized the treatment of infertile couples. Today, ICSI remains an indispensable part of assisted reproductive treatments (ART) and has resulted in the birth of millions of babies. The 25th anniversary of ICSI marks a chronologic landmark in its evolving history. This landmark also serves as an opportunity to thoroughly appraise the safety of ICSI and analyze the long-term outcomes of ICSI-conceived children. In this review, we collate and analyze salient data accrued over the past 25 years pertaining to the long-term safety of ICSI and ICSI conceptions. We also evaluate the effects of ICSI on the perinatal outcomes, congenital malformation rates, cognitive development and reproductive health of ICSI-conceived neonates, children, adolescents and adults, respectively. In doing so, we also highlight the existence of potential confounders and biases that frequently obscure the interpretation of clinical follow-up studies.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: state of the art in humans

Among infertile couples, 25% involve both male and female factors, while male factor alone accounts for another 25% due to oligo-, astheno-, teratozoospermia, a combination of the three, or even a complete absence of sperm cells in the ejaculate and can lead to a poor prognosis even with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been with us now for a quarter of a century and in spite of the controversy generated since its inception, it remains in the forefront of the techniques utilized in ART. The development of ICSI in 1992 has drastically decreased the impact of male factor, resulting in millions of pregnancies worldwide for couples who, without ICSI, would have had little chance of having their own biological child. This review focuses on the state of the art of ICSI regarding utility of bioassays that evaluate male factor infertility beyond the standard semen analysis and describes the current application and advances in regard to ICSI, particularly the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of spermatozoa and their impact on reproductive outcome.

Clinical review of 24-35 year olds conceived with and without in vitro fertilization: study protocol

Background

Children conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART) currently comprise 4% of Australian births. The manipulation of biological parameters related to fertilization and implantation are integral to successful ART but potentially pose a risk to the longer-term health of the offspring. There is consensus that many common adult health problems (particularly cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory conditions) have their origins in early life, possibly before birth, and that risk trajectories track through childhood until clinical disease manifests in adulthood. Early life epigenetic variation may play a role in this process. However little is known about the long-term health of individuals conceived by ART. In a previous study, based on telephone-interviews, we found that young adults conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) had significantly more maternal reported atopic respiratory, endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic conditions than non-IVF conceived matched controls. Here we outline the protocol for a follow-up biomedical assessment of this cohort and a questionnaire to obtain information on potential confounders.

Methods

We are conducting a clinical review of an existing, well characterised cohort comprising 547 IVF-conceived adults and 549 matched controls. We are measuring cardiovascular intermediate phenotypes, metabolic parameters and respiratory function, complemented by epigenome-wide DNA methylation analysis. A pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of our proposed protocol and its acceptability to participants. Participants attend a 2–3 h clinical assessment and complete a study-specific online questionnaire. Measurements include: 1) cardiovascular phenotypes: carotid artery intima-media thickness and distensibility, retinal vascular calibre, resting blood pressure, pulse wave velocity and pulse wave analysis; 2) respiratory function: spirometry, plethysmography, multiple breath washout; 3) auxology: height, weight, waist circumference, bio-impedance. Blood is collected for 4) biomarkers of cardiometabolic profile including inflammatory markers and 5) epigenetic analysis.

Discussion

Recruitment for this clinical review is challenging as many of the participants have moved to regional, interstate or international locations. Additionally, many female participants are pregnant or breastfeeding, and are therefore ineligible. Nevertheless, comprehensive strategies have been developed to optimize recruitment. Given the increasing use of IVF and related technologies, the potential long-term consequences for risk of common adult diseases is an important clinical and public health issue.

[A survey of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the status of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology (ART).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on the pubertal development data of children born with ART in Peking University Third Hospital from 1994 to 2003 (ART group). The data in the cross-sectional study "Reports on the Physical Fitness and Health Research of Chinese School Students in 2010" were used as a control. The age at menarche and the age at spermarche were compared between the two groups. The status of pubertal development in the overweight and obese children in the ART group was evaluated to investigate the correlation between pubertal development and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

A total of 200 children born with ART were enrolled in this study, and 72 of them (41 males and 31 females) completed the survey (response rate=36.0%). In the ART group, the mean age at spermarche and the mean age at menarche were 13.9 years (95%CI: 13.7-14.3 years) and 12.2 years (95%CI: 11.8-12.6 years), respectively. There were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the ART and control groups (P>0.05). In the ART group, there were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the overweight and obese children and the normal weight children (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in overweight rate and obesity rate between the children in the ART group and the adolescents in Beijing (P>0.05). In the ART group, there was no significant correlation between the age at spermarche or menarche and BMI (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

No delayed or precocious puberty is observed in children born with ART. This is consistent with the normal control data. And there is no significant correlation between pubertal development and BMI in children born with ART.

Serum reproductive hormone levels and ultrasound findings in female offspring after intracytoplasmic sperm injection: first results

OBJECTIVE

To compare reproductive hormone levels and antral follicle count in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-conceived offspring and peers born after spontaneous conception.

DESIGN

Single-center study of the reproductive health at the age of 18-22 years in the worldwide oldest cohort of female ICSI offspring.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S)

A longitudinally followed cohort of singleton women (n = 71) conceived by means of ICSI because of male infertility and a cross-sectionally recruited group of spontaneously conceived women of the same age (n = 81).

INTERVENTIONS(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Differences in serum reproductive hormone levels and ultrasound findings.

RESULT(S)

Median levels of antimüllerian hormone (AMH), FSH, LH, and DHEAS were similar between ICSI women and their spontaneously conceived counterparts. Median E₂ levels in ICSI women taking hormonal contraceptives were higher compared with control women. A minority of ICSI women had AMH levels below the 5th or above the 95th percentile, and ICSI women were not more likely to have AMH levels below the 5th percentile or above the 95th percentile compared with control women. Mean follicle count per ovary was similar between the ICSI and control groups. Furthermore, a similar proportion of women had >19 follicles per ovary (ICSI: 20.9%; control: 20.0%). A strong positive correlation between AMH level and mean follicle count per ovary was found.

CONCLUSION(S)

In this cohort of 71 young adult women conceived by means of ICSI because of male infertility in their parents, antral follicle count and circulating reproductive hormone levels, including AMH, FSH, LH, and DHEAS, were found to be similar to results from peers born after spontaneous conception.

Cardiovascular and metabolic profiles of offspring conceived by assisted reproductive technologies: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate cardiovascular and metabolic features of offspring conceived by in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI).

DESIGN

Literature review and meta-analysis.

SETTING

Not applicable.

PATIENT(S)

Offspring from IVF-ICSI versus natural conception.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), cardiovascular function, body mass index (BMI), and lipid and glucose profiles.

RESULT(S)

We included 19 studies that had recruited 2,112 IVF-ICSI and 4,096 naturally conceived offspring, ranging from childhood to early adulthood. The blood pressure levels of IVF-ICSI offspring were statistically significantly higher than those of naturally conceived offspring (weighted mean differences and confidence intervals: 1.88 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.27, 3.49] for SBP and 1.51 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.33, 2.70] for DBP). In addition, cardiac diastolic function was suboptimal and vessel thickness was higher among IVF-ICSI offspring. Compared with the metabolism of naturally conceived offspring, IVF-ICSI offspring displayed comparable BMI, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and higher fasting insulin levels.

CONCLUSION(S)

Children conceived by IVF-ICSI manifested a minor yet statistically significant increase in blood pressure without the clustering of increased BMI or impaired lipid metabolism by early adulthood. Our findings indicate a risk of cardiovascular disease among IVF-ICSI offspring, which calls for longer-term follow-ups and further investigation.

Reproductive hormones of ICSI-conceived young adult men: the first results

STUDY QUESTION

Are reproductive hormone levels (FSH, LH, inhibin B and testosterone) in male offspring conceived by ICSI because of male infertility comparable with those from peers born after spontaneous conception?

SUMMARY ANSWER

In this cohort of 54 young men conceived by ICSI because of male-factor infertility, mean and median reproductive hormone levels were found to be comparable with results from spontaneously conceived peers, but ICSI-conceived men were more likely to have low inhibin B (<10th percentile) and high FSH (>90th percentile) levels.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Since the worldwide oldest ICSI offspring have recently reached young adulthood, their reproductive health can now be investigated. This typically involves semen analysis and a hormonal profiling including the measurement of FSH, LH, inhibin B and testosterone. Circulating levels of FSH and inhibin B are generally known as markers of the exocrine function of the testis, i.e. spermatogenesis, while LH and testosterone reflect its endocrine function. We have previously observed a normal pubertal development and comparable levels of inhibin B and testosterone among pubertal ICSI boys when compared to spontaneously conceived peers. However, at present, information on the gonadal function of ICSI offspring in adulthood is still lacking.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This study, conducted between March 2013 and April 2016 at the UZ Brussel, is part of a larger follow-up project focusing on reproductive and metabolic health of young adults between 18 and 22 years and conceived after ICSI because of male infertility. The ICSI men are part of a longitudinally followed cohort while the spontaneously conceived controls were recruited cross-sectionally.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Results of a single fasting blood sample from 54 young adult ICSI men were compared to that of 57 spontaneously conceived peers. Reproductive hormone analysis involved FSH, LH, testosterone and inhibin B measurement. Furthermore, the association between their reproductive hormones and their sperm parameters was examined. Data were analyzed by multiple linear and logistic regression adjusted for covariates.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

ICSI men had comparable mean levels of FSH, LH, testosterone and inhibin B in comparison to spontaneously conceived counterparts, even after adjustment for confounders, such as age, BMI and season. Young ICSI-conceived men were more likely to have inhibin B levels below the 10th percentile (<125.2 ng/l; Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 4.0; 95% CI: 0.9-18.4; P = 0.07) compared with spontaneously conceived peers and were more likely to have FSH levels above the 90th percentile (>5.5 IU/L; AOR 3.3; 95% CI: 0.9-11.9; P = 0.06) compared with spontaneously conceived peers, but neither difference reached statistical significance. FSH, LH and inhibin B, but not testosterone, levels were significantly associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The main limitation is the small study population. Furthermore, the results of this study should be interpreted according to the background of the participants: all subjects in our study group were conceived by ICSI because of severe male infertility and hence the results cannot be generalized to all ICSI offspring because the indications for performing ICSI have since been widened.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

These first results in a small group of ICSI men show reassuring reproductive hormonal levels. However, larger studies are required to confirm our results. Since inhibin B and FSH are consistently correlated with semen characteristics, we would suggest that the reproductive status of young adults conceived by ICSI is explored with a hormonal assessment given its easier acceptance compared to semen sampling.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

This study was supported by Methusalem grants and by grants from Wetenschappelijk Fonds Willy Gepts, all issued by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). A grant from the Belgian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology was received for this project. All co-authors, except M.B. and H.T., declare no conflict of interest. M.B. has received consultancy fees from MSD, Serono Symposia and Merck. The Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel) and the Centre for Medical Genetics have received several educational grants from IBSA, Ferring, Organon, Shering-Plough, Merck for establishing the database for follow-up research and organizing the data collection. The institution of HT receives research grants from the 'Research Fund of Flanders' (FWO), an unconditional grant from Ferring for research on testicular stem cells and research grants from Ferring, Merck, MSD, Roche, Besins, Goodlife and Cook for several research projects in female infertility. H.T. has received consultancy fees from Finox, Abbott and ObsEva for research projects in female infertility.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Semen quality of young adult ICSI offspring: the first results

STUDY QUESTION

What is the semen quality of young adult men who were conceived 18-22 years ago by ICSI for male infertility?

SUMMARY ANSWER

In this cohort of 54 young adult ICSI men, median sperm concentration, total sperm count and total motile sperm count were significantly lower than in spontaneously conceived peers.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The oldest ICSI offspring cohort worldwide has recently reached adulthood. Hence, their reproductive health can now be investigated. Since these children were conceived by ICSI because of severe male-factor infertility, there is reasonable concern that male offspring have inherited the deficient spermatogenesis from their fathers. Previously normal pubertal development and adequate Sertoli and Leydig cell function have been described in pubertal ICSI boys; however, no information on their sperm quality is currently available.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This study was conducted at UZ Brussel between March 2013 and April 2016 and is part of a large follow-up project focussing on reproductive and metabolic health of young adults, between 18 and 22 years and conceived after ICSI with ejaculated sperm. Results of both a physical examination and semen analysis were compared between young ICSI men being part of a longitudinally followed cohort and spontaneously conceived controls who were recruited cross-sectionally.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD

Results of a single semen sample in 54 young adult ICSI men and 57 spontaneously conceived men are reported. All young adults were individually assessed, and the results of their physical examination were completed by questionnaires. Data were analysed by multiple linear and logistic regression, adjusted for covariates. In addition, semen parameters of the ICSI fathers dating back from their ICSI treatment application were analysed for correlations.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Young ICSI adults had a lower median sperm concentration (17.7 million/ml), lower median total sperm count (31.9 million) and lower median total motile sperm count (12.7 million) in comparison to spontaneously conceived peers (37.0 million/ml; 86.8 million; 38.6 million, respectively). The median percentage progressive and total motility, median percentage normal morphology and median semen volume were not significantly different between these groups. After adjustment for confounders (age, BMI, genital malformations, time from ejaculation to analysis, abstinence period), the statistically significant differences between ICSI men and spontaneously conceived peers remained: an almost doubled sperm concentration in spontaneously conceived peers in comparison to ICSI men (ratio 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2) and a two-fold lower total sperm count (ratio 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.1) and total motile count (ratio 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.6) in ICSI men compared to controls were found. Furthermore, compared to men born after spontaneous conception, ICSI men were nearly three times more likely to have sperm concentrations below the WHO reference value of 15 million/ml (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.7) and four times more likely to have total sperm counts below 39 million (AOR 4.3; 95% CI 1.7-11.3). In this small group of 54 father-son pairs, a weak negative correlation between total sperm count in fathers and their sons was found.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The main limitation is the small study population. Also, the results of this study where ICSI was performed with ejaculated sperm and for male-factor infertility cannot be generalized to all ICSI offspring because the indications for ICSI have nowadays been extended and ICSI is also being performed with non-ejaculated sperm and reported differences may thus either decrease or increase.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

These first results in a small group of ICSI men indicate a lower semen quantity and quality in young adults born after ICSI for male infertility in their fathers.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

This study was supported by Methusalem grants and by grants from Wetenschappelijk Fonds Willy Gepts, all issued by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). All co-authors except M.B. and H.T. declared no conflict of interest. M.B. has received consultancy fees from MSD, Serono Symposia and Merck. The Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel) and the Centre for Medical Genetics have received several educational grants from IBSA, Ferring, Organon, Shering-Plough and Merck for establishing the database for follow-up research and organizing the data collection. The institution of H.T. has received research grants from the Research Fund of Flanders (FWO), an unconditional grant from Ferring for research on testicular stem cells and research grants from Ferring, Merck, MSD, Roche, Besins, Goodlife and Cook for several research projects in female infertility. H.T. has received consultancy fees from Finox, Abbott and ObsEva for research projects in female infertility.

The paternal genome and the health of the assisted reproductive technology child

As a number of children born by assisted reproductive technology (ART) are increasing each year across the developed world, the health of such offspring is a matter of public concern. Does the integrity of the paternal genome impact on offspring health? In societal terms, as birth rates fall, and the Western population become unsustainable, do the benefits outweigh the costs of creating and providing for this ART conceived subpopulation? There are little data to date to answer these questions. The long-term health of such children has largely been ignored, and success measured only by early (prebirth) outcomes such as embryo quality or pregnancy. However, there are powerful paradigms such as ageing and smoking that give vital clues as to the potential impact of unhealthy spermatozoa on disease risk, mental and physical health, fertility and mortality of these offspring.

Gender-specific alterations in salivary cortisol levels in pubertal intracytoplasmic sperm injection offspring

BACKGROUND

There is accumulating evidence that in vitro conception in humans may be associated with adverse health outcomes later in life. It has been proposed that suboptimal early life conditions may 'program' key endocrine systems. A disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to alterations in cortisol secretion in the offspring may be such a mechanism. To date, no data on cortisol levels in children conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are available in the literature.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, salivary cortisol known as a key regulator of metabolism was measured and results were compared between 201 pubertal ICSI children and 196 spontaneously conceived (SC) counterparts.

RESULTS

ICSI females had lower mean salivary cortisol levels (9.0 µg/l; 95% CI 8.1-9.9) than SC females (10.6 µg/l; 95% CI 9.7-11.5; p = 0.01). This difference remained after adjusting for current characteristics, early life factors and maternal characteristics. In ICSI males, no difference in cortisol levels was found in comparison with the SC group.

CONCLUSION

In our study, 14-year-old female but not male ICSI teenagers were found to have lower salivary cortisol concentrations in comparison with SC peers. However, before definite conclusions can be drawn, our results should be completed by longitudinal sampling.

IVF and breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The effects of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF in terms of breast cancer risk remain controversial, despite the hormone-dependent nature of the latter.

METHODS

Eligible studies up to 15 February 2013 were identified and pooled effect estimates for relative risk (RR) were calculated separately for the investigations using the general population and those using infertile women, as a reference group. Fixed- or random-effects models were implemented and subgroup analyses were performed, as appropriate.

RESULTS

Eight cohort studies were synthesized, yielding a total cohort size of 1,554,332 women among whom 14,961 incident breast cancer cases occurred, encompassing 576 incident breast cancer cases among women exposed to IVF. No significant association between IVF and breast cancer was observed either in the group of studies treating the general population (RR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-1.11) or infertile women (RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.88-1.18), as a reference group. Of note were the marginal associations, protective for pregnant and/or parous women after IVF (pooled effect estimate = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.73-1.01) and adverse for women <30 years at first IVF treatment (pooled effect estimate = 1.64, 95% CI: 0.96-2.80).

CONCLUSIONS

At present, COH for IVF does not seem to impart increased breast cancer risk. Longer follow-up periods, comparisons versus infertile women, subgroup analyses aiming to trace vulnerable subgroups, adjustment for various confounders and larger informative data sets are needed before conclusive statements for the safety of the procedure are reached.

Long-term follow-up of children conceived through assisted reproductive technology

Children conceived via assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are nowadays a substantial proportion of the population. It is important to follow up these children and evaluate whether they have elevated health risks compared to naturally conceived (NC) children. In recent years there has been a lot of work in this field. This review will summarize what is known about the health of ART-conceived children, encompassing neonatal outcomes, birth defects, growth and gonadal developments, physical health, neurological and neurodevelopmental outcomes, psychosocial developments, risk for cancer, and epigenetic abnormalities. Most of the children conceived after ART are normal. However, there is increasing evidence that ART-conceived children are at higher risk of poor perinatal outcome, birth defects, and epigenetic disorders, and the mechanism(s) leading to these changes have not been elucidated. Continuous follow-up of children after ART is of great importance as they progress through adolescence into adulthood, and new ART techniques are constantly being introduced.

ART and health: clinical outcomes and insights on molecular mechanisms from rodent studies

Since the birth of the first IVF-conceived child in 1978, the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has grown dramatically, contributing to the successful birth of 5 million individuals worldwide. However, there are several reported associations of ART with pregnancy complications, such as low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, birth defects, epigenetic disorders, cancer and poor metabolic health. Whether this is attributed to ART procedures or to the subset of the population seeking ART remains a controversy, but the most relevant question today concerns the potential long-term implications of assisted conception. Recent evidence has emerged suggesting that ART-conceived children have distinct metabolic profiles that may predispose to cardiovascular pathologies in adulthood. Because the eldest IVF individuals are still too young to exhibit components of chronic middle-aged syndromes, the use of animal models has become particularly useful in describing the effects of unusual or stressful preimplantation experiences on adult fitness. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which embryos integrate environmental signals into development and metabolic gene expression programs will be essential for optimizing ART procedures such as in vitro culture conditions, embryo selection and transfer. In the future, additional animal studies to identify mechanisms underlying unfavorable ART outcomes, as well as more epidemiological reviews to monitor the long-term health of ART children are required, given that ART procedures have become routine medical practice.

Phenotypic differences in children conceived from fresh and thawed embryos in in vitro fertilization compared with naturally conceived children

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether anthropometric and biochemical features differ in in vitro fertilization (IVF) children conceived via fresh (IVFF) or thawed (IVFT) embryo transfer compared with naturally conceived controls.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional controlled study.

SETTING

University clinical research unit.

PATIENT(S)

Healthy prepubertal children (3.5-11.0 years), singletons, born at term (>37 weeks), who were either naturally conceived (controls; n = 94) or IVF children conceived via the transfer of a fresh (IVFF; n = 72) or thawed (IVFT; n = 43) embryo.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Assessments of anthropometry (adjusted for parental variables), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived body composition, fasting plasma growth factors, lipids, and parameters of glucose regulation.

RESULT(S)

The IVFF but not the IVFT children weighed less at birth than the control children. The IVFF children were taller than both the controls and IVFT children. Sex-specific analyses showed height differences among girls, with IVFF girls being taller than their control and IVFT counterparts. Taller stature in IVFF children was associated with increased insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations compared with controls, whereas the IVFT children displayed increased IGF-II and decreased insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations compared with the controls. More favorable lipid profiles were also evident in IVFF but not IVFT children compared with the control children.

CONCLUSION(S)

These preliminary findings highlight that the transfer of a fresh versus a thawed IVF embryo affects height, plasma growth factor, and lipid profiles in childhood. Therefore, embryo derivation should be considered when assessing physical and biochemical phenotype of IVF children.

The longer-term health outcomes for children born as a result of IVF treatment: Part I--General health outcomes

BACKGROUND Several million children have been born from in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, but limited data exist regarding their health and development beyond the first year of life. It has been alleged that IVF may lead to long-term adverse consequences, in addition to the documented worse perinatal outcome and increased risk of congenital abnormalities in children born resulting from IVF treatment. METHODS A search strategy restricted to studies relating to the medical condition of children of at least 1 year of age born as a result of IVF treatment was performed to include case series, data linkage and prospective studies published 1 January 2000-1 April 2012. RESULTS Limited long-term follow-up data suggest that there is potentially an increase in the incidence of raised blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose, increase in total body fat composition, advancement of bone age and potentially subclinical thyroid disorder in the IVF offspring. Whether these potential associations are related to the IVF treatment per se, the adverse obstetric outcomes associated with IVF treatment or are related to the genetic origin of the children is yet to be determined. CONCLUSIONS This review provides evidence to suggest that the short-term health outcome for children born from IVF treatment is positive. However, it is expected that the cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors found in childhood and tracking into adulthood could be worse in later life, and may be responsible for chronic cardiometabolic disease. These observations need to be addressed by further studies.