A retrospective case-control study of developmental and other outcomes in a cohort of Australian children conceived by intracytoplasmic sperm injection compared with a similar group in the United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possibility that children born after ICSI were at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delay.


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
IVF clinic.


METHODS
Fifty-eight singleton children born after ICSI and 38 normally conceived singleton children (controls), matched for relevant sociodemographic characteristics, from Australia and 208 case-patients and 221 controls from the United Kingdom.


METHODS
Antenatal and perinatal, and sociodemographic characteristics; physical health, including congenital abnormalities; and neurodevelopment by using the Griffiths scales of mental development.


RESULTS
Eighty-five percent of case-patients and 96% controls were assessed at a mean age of 13 months. Neurodevelopmental scores were similar in all children. Perinatal outcome was similar, apart from more caesarean sections in the case-patients. Rates of congenital anomalies were similar (5.6% among case-patients vs. 5.7% among controls). Children from fathers with oligozoospermia showed no extra problems. Children born after ICSI in the United Kingdom and Australia were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Children conceived after ICSI did not differ from their naturally conceived peers in physical health or development at ages up to 15 months.
Sutcliffe
Alastair G
AG
Department of Child Health Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, United Kingdom. icsi@rfc.ucl.ac.uk
Saunders
Kerryn
K
McLachlan
Rob
R
Taylor
Brent
B
Edwards
Phil
P
Grudzinskas
Gedis
G
Leiberman
Brian
B
Thornton
Simon
S
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008423:Maternal Age; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology