Follow-up study of the development in children conceived with assisted reproductive technology / 临床儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To perform a follow-up study on psychomotor development in children conceived with assisted reproductive technology. Methods A control-matched study was done including 63 infants born after assisted conception (study group)and 65 natural conception infants(control group). The pregnant women agreed to participate in the study when they were at 28 weeks of gestation and were followed-up in a predefine schedule till delivery. The regular developmental assessment was done with the CDCC Scales of Infant Development for the children of two groups till they were 24 months old. Results The mean birth weight and length were lower in the study group than those of the control group. The incidences of preterm birth,low birth weight,and NICU admission were significantly higher in the study group than those of control group. However,these differences were not significant when only singletons were compared between two groups. No statistical differences were found in the mental development index(MDI)and psychomotor development index(PDI)between two groups. Conclusions Psychomotor development of children born after assisted conception is normal at 24 months of age. Since the incidences of preterm birth,low birth weight,and multifetation are significantly higher in children born after assisted conception,their general health and development should be followed up for a longer time.