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Fatima S, Idrees T, Mansoor M, Idrees Z, Hussain Z, Hamid S. Awareness of mothers coming to obstetric wards of allied hospitals regarding neonatal care and the working of community health workers in their districts. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022; 82:104750. [PMID: 36268409 PMCID: PMC9577840 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neonatal mortality remains a significant challenge not only to the world,but especially to a developing country like Pakistan. It can be majorly attributed to the sub-par healthcare, insufficient and under-recognised community health workers, and the lack of knowledge of proper newborn care on the part of the parents. This study targets the level of knowledge of the mothers and the services provided by community health care workers as the main factors determining neonatal care. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the OBS (obstetrics) wards of Hospitals affiliated with Rawalpindi Medical University from January 2022 to June 2022. The sample size was 138. Data was collected by one-on-one interviews, using a standardized USAID Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS v28. Chi-square test was applied to check for significance. Results Out of the total 138 participants, 47.8% (n = 66/138) were between the ages of 21-25. Results showed that women between the ages of 21-25 (P = 0.000058) and women who had their first child between the ages of 23-27 had good knowledge about neonatal care. 45% (n = 62/138) of the participants had poor knowledge of neonatal care, whereas 55% (n = 76/138) had good knowledge (P = 0.000002). As for the role of community health workers, only 20-30% of the participants were being provided with their services; hence their performance was not found to be adequate. Conclusions The world of medicine is moving rapidly toward a new framework of the health systems in which the real foundation will be based on what actually takes place in the community, therefore, community health workers can play an important role in improving maternal and neonatal care. Family-centered care, appropriate age of first conception and motherhood, and proper guidance to first-time parents can ensure significant improvement in neonatal care in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumia Fatima
- Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | | | | | | | | | - Sidra Hamid
- Physiology and Department of Education, Rawalpindi Medical University, Pakistan
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Terho AM, Tiitinen A, Martikainen H, Gissler M, Pelkonen S. Health of singletons born after frozen embryo transfer until early adulthood: a Finnish register study. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2899-2907. [PMID: 36166701 PMCID: PMC9712944 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is the health of singletons born after frozen embryo transfer (FET) comparable to that of singletons born after fresh embryo transfer (ET) until early adulthood? SUMMARY ANSWER The health of singletons born after FET does not differ from that of singletons born after fresh ET. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The differences in perinatal outcomes of children born after FET and fresh ET are well known. FET is associated with an increased risk of large-for-gestational-age but diminished risks of preterm birth (PTB), small-for-gestational-age and decreased perinatal mortality compared to fresh ET. However, knowledge on the long-term health after FET is scarce. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This retrospective register-based cohort study compares singletons born after FET (n = 1825) between the years 1995 and 2006 to those born after fresh ET (n = 2933) and natural conception (NC, n = 31 136) with a mean follow-up time of 18-20 years. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Singletons born after FET were compared to those born after fresh ET and NC regarding the frequencies of diagnoses in the main ICD-10 chapters (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision), the number of outpatient visits and hospital admissions, and mortality. Adjustments were made for PTB, maternal age, parity, socioeconomic status based on mother's occupation and offspring sex. The study combines data from the Finnish Medical Birth Register, the Finnish Care Register for Health Care (CRHC) and the Cause-of-Death Register at Statistics Finland. The Student's T-test was used for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Cox regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs and aHRs, respectively). A general linear model was used to compare the means of outpatient visits, hospital admissions and lengths of hospital stays per person. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE No significant differences between the FET and fresh ET groups were found in the frequency of diagnoses in any of the ICD-10 chapters or in the parameters describing the need for hospital care. However, compared to the NC group, higher proportions in the FET group had outpatient visits in the hospital (93.5% vs 92.2%, aHR 1.23, 95% CI 1.17, 1.30) or hospital admissions (48% vs 46.5%, aHR 1.28, 95% CI 1.19, 1.37). Compared to the NC group, the FET group had elevated adjusted risks of diagnoses of infectious and parasitic diseases (aHR 1.24; 95% CI 1.11, 1.38), neoplasms (aHR 1.68; 95% CI 1.48, 1.91), diseases of the eye and adnexa, the ear or mastoid process (aHR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01, 1.21), the respiratory system (aHR 1.15; 95% CI 1.06, 1.23), the digestive system (aHR 1.17; 95% CI 1.05, 1.32), the skin or subcutaneous tissue (aHR 1.28; 95% CI 1.14, 1.43) and the genitourinary system (aHR 1.27; 95% CI 1.11, 1.45), as well as congenital malformations or chromosomal abnormalities (aHR 1.31; 95% CI 1.14, 1.50) and symptoms, signs or abnormal clinical or laboratory findings (aHR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16, 1.34). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Only hospital-based inpatient and outpatient care is covered by the CRHC register, excluding milder cases diagnosed elsewhere. We were not able to study the effect of ART treatments and subfertility separately in our setting. In addition, although our cohort is reasonably sized, even larger cohorts would be needed to reliably study rare outcomes, such as cancer. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS For many ICD-10 chapters, we present the first published data on the long-term outcome of singletons born after FET. The results on FET versus fresh ET are reassuring, whereas the results on FET versus NC warrant further investigation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Finnish government research funding was obtained for this study. Funding was also obtained from the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Orion Research Foundation, Finnish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (research grants to A.M.T.) and Finnish government research funding. The funding sources were not involved in the planning or execution of the study. The authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Terho
- Correspondence address. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital, OYS, PL 23, 90029 Oulu, Finland. E-mail:
| | - A Tiitinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Martikainen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit & Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - M Gissler
- Information Services Department, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland,Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Pelkonen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit & Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Luke B, Brown MB, Wantman E, Schymura MJ, Browne ML, Fisher SC, Forestieri NE, Rao C, Nichols HB, Yazdy MM, Gershman ST, Sacha CR, Williams M, Ethen MK, Canfield MA, Doody KJ, Eisenberg ML, Baker VL, Williams C, Sutcliffe AG, Richard MA, Lupo PJ. The risks of birth defects and childhood cancer with conception by assisted reproductive technology. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2672-2689. [PMID: 36112004 PMCID: PMC9960485 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is there an association between fertility status, method of conception and the risks of birth defects and childhood cancer? SUMMARY ANSWER The risk of childhood cancer had two independent components: (i) method of conception and (ii) presence, type and number of birth defects. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The rarity of the co-occurrence of birth defects, cancer and ART makes studying their association challenging. Prior studies have indicated that infertility and ART are associated with an increased risk of birth defects or cancer but have been limited by small sample size and inadequate statistical power, failure to adjust for or include plurality, differences in definitions and/or methods of ascertainment, lack of information on ART treatment parameters or study periods spanning decades resulting in a substantial historical bias as ART techniques have improved. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a population-based cohort study linking ART cycles reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SART CORS) from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2017 that resulted in live births in 2004-2018 in Massachusetts and North Carolina and live births in 2004-2017 in Texas and New York. A 10:1 sample of non-ART births were chosen within the same time period as the ART birth. Non-ART siblings were identified through the ART mother's information. Children from non-ART births were classified as being born to women who conceived with ovulation induction or IUI (OI/IUI) when there was an indication of infertility treatment on the birth certificate, and the woman did not link to the SART CORS; all others were classified as being naturally conceived. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The study population included 165 125 ART children, 31 524 non-ART siblings, 12 451 children born to OI/IUI-treated women and 1 353 440 naturally conceived children. All study children were linked to their respective State birth defect registries to identify major defects diagnosed within the first year of life. We classified children with major defects as either chromosomal (i.e. presence of a chromosomal defect with or without any other major defect) or nonchromosomal (i.e. presence of a major defect but having no chromosomal defect), or all major defects (chromosomal and nonchromosomal), and calculated rates per 1000 children. Logistic regression models were used to generate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs of the risk of birth defects by conception group (OI/IUI, non-ART sibling and ART by oocyte source and embryo state) with naturally conceived children as the reference, adjusted for paternal and maternal ages; maternal race and ethnicity, education, BMI, parity, diabetes, hypertension; and for plurality, infant sex and State and year of birth. All study children were also linked to their respective State cancer registries. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of cancer by birth defect status (including presence of a defect, type and number of defects), and conception group. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 29 571 singleton children (2.0%) and 3753 twin children (3.5%) had a major birth defect (chromosomal or nonchromosomal). Children conceived with ART from autologous oocytes had increased risks for nonchromosomal defects, including blastogenesis, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and, for males only, genitourinary defects, with AORs ranging from 1.22 to 1.85; children in the autologous-fresh group also had increased risks for musculoskeletal (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.13, 1.45) and orofacial defects (AOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.17, 1.68). Within the donor oocyte group, the children conceived from fresh embryos did not have increased risks in any birth defect category, whereas children conceived from thawed embryos had increased risks for nonchromosomal defects (AOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03, 1.40) and blastogenesis defects (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.14, 2.65). The risk of cancer was increased among ART children in the autologous-fresh group (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08, 1.59) and non-ART siblings (1.34, 95% CI 1.02, 1.76). The risk of leukemia was increased among children in the OI/IUI group (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.04, 4.47) and non-ART siblings (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.02, 2.61). The risk of central nervous system tumors was increased among ART children in the autologous-fresh group (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.14, 2.48), donor-fresh group (HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.04, 6.32) and non-ART siblings (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12, 3.03). ART children in the autologous-fresh group were also at increased risk for solid tumors (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09, 1.77). A total of 127 children had both major birth defects and cancer, of which 53 children (42%) had leukemia. The risk of cancer had two independent components: (i) method of conception (described above) and (ii) presence, type and number of birth defects. The presence of nonchromosomal defects increased the cancer risk, greater for two or more defects versus one defect, for all cancers and each type evaluated. The presence of chromosomal defects was strongly associated with cancer risk (HR 8.70 for all cancers and HR 21.90 for leukemia), further elevated in the presence of both chromosomal and nonchromosomal defects (HR 21.29 for all cancers, HR 64.83 for leukemia and HR 4.71 for embryonal tumors). Among the 83 946 children born from ART in the USA in 2019 compared to their naturally conceived counterparts, these risks translate into an estimated excess of 761 children with major birth defects, 31 children with cancer and 11 children with both major birth defects and cancer. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION In the SART CORS database, it was not possible to differentiate method of embryo freezing (slow freezing versus vitrification), and data on ICSI were only available in the fresh embryo ART group. In the OI/IUI group, it was not possible to differentiate type of non-ART treatment utilized, and in both the ART and OI/IUI groups, data were unavailable on duration of infertility. Since OI/IUI is underreported on the birth certificate, some OI/IUI children were likely included among the naturally conceived children, which will decrease the difference between all the groups and the naturally conceived children. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The use of ART is associated with increased risks of major nonchromosomal birth defects. The presence of birth defects is associated with greater risks for cancer, which adds to the baseline risk in the ART group. Although this study does not show causality, these findings indicate that children conceived with ART, non-ART siblings, and all children with birth defects should be monitored more closely for the subsequent development of cancer. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This project was supported by grant R01 HD084377 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, or the National Institutes of Health, nor any of the State Departments of Health which contributed data. M.L.E. reports consultancy for Ro, Hannah, Dadi, Sandstone and Underdog; presidency of SSMR; and SMRU board member. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Luke
- Correspondence address. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, 965 Wilson Road, East Fee Hall, Room 628, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Tel: +1-517-353-1678; Fax: +1-517-353-1663; E-mail:
| | - Morton B Brown
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Maria J Schymura
- New York State Department of Health, New York State Cancer Registry, Albany, NY, USA,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Marilyn L Browne
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA,New York State Department of Health, Birth Defects Registry, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Sarah C Fisher
- New York State Department of Health, Birth Defects Registry, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Nina E Forestieri
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Birth Defects Monitoring Program, State Center for Health Statistics, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Chandrika Rao
- North Carolina Central Cancer Registry, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hazel B Nichols
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mahsa M Yazdy
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan T Gershman
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Cancer Registry, Office of Data Management and Outcomes Assessment, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin R Sacha
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Melanie Williams
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Cancer Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Health and Human Services, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mary K Ethen
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mark A Canfield
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Michael L Eisenberg
- Division of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Valerie L Baker
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carrie Williams
- Policy, Practice, and Population Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alastair G Sutcliffe
- Policy, Practice, and Population Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Melissa A Richard
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Philip J Lupo
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Bapayeva G, Terzic S, Dotlic J, Togyzbayeva K, Bugibaeva U, Mustafinova M, Alisheva A, Karaman E, Terzic M, Laganà AS. The influence of advanced age and obesity on pregnancy course and outcome in patients with diabetes mellitus. PRZEGLAD MENOPAUZALNY = MENOPAUSE REVIEW 2022; 21:170-179. [PMID: 36254135 PMCID: PMC9551367 DOI: 10.5114/pm.2022.116351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Older women are at greater risk of suffering from a series of comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension that could negatively affect pregnancy course and outcomes. This study aims to investigate the impact of maternal age and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) on pregnancy outcomes of women with diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 323 diabetic pregnant women. All complications throughout pregnancy and the early neonatal period were noted. The women were divided into groups according to age decade and BMI. RESULTS 84.8% of women reported pregnancy complications, with a higher prevalence in obese women (p = 0.003). However, most children had a good outcome with few early neonatal complications (36.85%). Old and obese women with DM often showed complications, and their newborns had higher birth weight (p = 0.003) and more neonatal complications (p = 0.041). Maternal BMI (p = 0.016; OR = 1.064), but not age (p = 0.801), was found to be a significant predictor of pregnancy complications. CONCLUSIONS Pregnant women with DM should be considered as high-risk patients. Advanced age and increased BMI prior to pregnancy are risk factors for pregnancy complications. Maternal obesity is the most important predictor of pregnancy complications in women with DM. Pregnancy outcome can be good for both mothers and children with a timely and adequate approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Bapayeva
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Sanja Terzic
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Jelena Dotlic
- Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
- School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Karlygash Togyzbayeva
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Ulzhan Bugibaeva
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Madina Mustafinova
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Asem Alisheva
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Erbil Karaman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Turkey
| | - Milan Terzic
- Clinical Academic Department of Women’s Health, Corporate Fund “University Medical Centre”, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Antonio Simone Laganà
- Unit of Gynecologic Oncology, ARNAS “Civico – Di Cristina – Benfratelli”, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Mitter VR, Håberg SE, Magnus MC. Early childhood respiratory tract infections according to parental subfertility and conception by assisted reproductive technologies. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2113-2125. [PMID: 35881052 PMCID: PMC9433839 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are children conceived by ART or born to subfertile parents more susceptible to upper or lower respiratory tract infections (URTI, LRTI)? SUMMARY ANSWER ART-conceived children had a higher frequency of and risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections up to age 3, which was only partly explained by parental subfertility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Some studies report increased risks of infections in children conceived by ART. Results for URTIs and LRTIs are inconclusive, and the contribution of underlying parental subfertility remains unclear. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We included 84 102 singletons of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) born between 1999 and 2009. Mothers reported time-to-pregnancy at recruitment and child history of, frequency of and hospitalization for, respiratory infections when the child was 6, 18 and 36 months old by questionnaires. Subfertility was defined as having taken 12 or more months to conceive. The Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) provided information on ART. URTI included throat and ear infections, while LRTI included bronchitis, bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumonia. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We used log-binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% CI of any respiratory tract infection and hospitalization, and negative-binomial regression to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% CI for number of infections. We compared children conceived by ART, and naturally conceived children of subfertile parents, to children of fertile parents (<12 months to conceive) while adjusting for maternal age, education, BMI and smoking during pregnancy and previous livebirths. We accounted for dependency between children born to the same mother. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 7334 (8.7%) singletons were naturally conceived by subfertile parents and 1901 (2.3%) were conceived by ART. Between age 0 and 36 months, 41 609 (49.5%) of children experienced any URTI, 15 542 (18.5%) any LRTI and 4134 (4.9%) were hospitalized due to LRTI. Up to age 3, children conceived by ART had higher frequencies of URTI (adjusted IRR (aIRR) 1.16; 95% CI 1.05–1.28) and hospitalizations due to LRTI (adjusted RR (aRR) 1.25; 95% CI 1.02–1.53), which was not seen for children of subfertile parents. Children conceived by ART were not at higher risks of respiratory infections up to age 18 months; only at age 19–36 months, they had increased risk of any LRTI (aRR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01–1.33), increased frequency of LRTIs (IRR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02–1.47) and a higher risk of hospitalization for LRTI (aRR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.80). They also had an increased frequency of URTIs (aIRR; 1.19; 95% CI 1.07–1.33). Children of subfertile parents only had a higher risk of LRTIs (aRR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01–1.17) at age 19–36 months. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Self-reported time-to-pregnancy and respiratory tract infections by parents could lead to misclassification. Both the initial participation rate and loss to follow up in the MoBa limits generalizability to the general Norwegian population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ART-conceived children might be more susceptible to respiratory tract infections in early childhood. This appears to be only partly explained by underlying parental subfertility. Exactly what aspects related to the ART procedure might be reflected in these associations need to be further investigated. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Funding was received from the Swiss National Science Foundation (P2BEP3_191798), the Research Council of Norway (no. 262700), and the European Research Council (no. 947684). All authors declare no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- V R Mitter
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,University Women's Hospital, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S E Håberg
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - M C Magnus
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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