Cardiometabolic differences in children born after in vitro fertilization: follow-up study.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence suggests that adverse conditions during early prenatal life are associated with cardiometabolic dysfunction in postnatal life. In vitro fertilization (IVF) conception may be an early prenatal life event with long-term health consequences.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to investigate several cardiometabolic measures in 8- to 18-yr-old IVF singletons and spontaneously conceived controls born from subfertile parents.


METHODS
This follow-up study was conducted at the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.


METHODS
Blood pressure was examined in 225 IVF-conceived children and 225 age- and gender-matched spontaneously conceived control children. Several indicators of insulin resistance were studied in a pubertal subpopulation (131 IVF children and 131 controls).


METHODS
Blood pressure, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin were determined.


RESULTS
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were higher in IVF children than controls (109 +/- 11 vs. 105 +/- 10 mm Hg, P < 0.001; and 61 +/- 7 vs. 59 +/- 7 mm Hg, P < 0.001, respectively). Children born after IVF were also more likely to be in the highest systolic and diastolic blood pressure quartiles (odds ratio = 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4, 3.3; odds ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.2, 3.0, respectively). Furthermore, higher fasting glucose levels were observed in pubertal IVF children (5.0 +/- 0.4 vs. 4.8 +/- 0.4 mmol/liter in controls; P = 0.005). Blood pressure and fasting glucose differences could not be explained by current body size, birth weight, and other early life factors or by parental characteristics, including subfertility cause.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the importance of continued cardiometabolic monitoring of IVF-conceived children and might contribute to current knowledge about periconceptional influences and their consequences in later life.
Ceelen
Manon
M
Department of Paediatrics, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
van Weissenbruch
Mirjam M
MM
Vermeiden
Jan P W
JP
van Leeuwen
Flora E
FE
Delemarre-van de Waal
Henriette A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin