title: Neonatal and neurodevelopmental outcome of children aged 3-10 years born following assisted oocyte activation.
abstract: Assisted oocyte activation (AOA) using a calcium ionophore has been used for more than a decade following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertilization failure. However, since AOA does not mimic precisely the physiological fertilization process, concerns exist about its use in human assisted reproduction. This study assessed the neonatal and neurodevelopmental outcome of children aged ≥ 3 years who had been born following AOA in our centre. Twenty-one children participated in the study (81% response rate; mean age 63.6 ± 21.07 months). Neonatal data were collected via questionnaires. Neurodevelopmental outcome was tested using the Reynell Developmental Language Scales or Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children III. Behaviour was scored by the Social Communication Questionnaire, the Child Behaviour Checklist and the Teachers Report Form. For all tests and questionnaires, the mean outcomes lay within the expected ranges. These are first data on the developmental outcome of AOA children. The high response rate and the robustness of the tests support the data, which are reassuring although still considered preliminary. Therefore, AOA should still be performed only in selected couples.
authors.affiliation: Department for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185-1P4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Frauke.VandenMeerschaut@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanden Meerschaut
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Speech and Language Pathology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185-2P2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Haeseleer
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Research Group Developmental Disorders, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gysels
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Research Group Developmental Disorders, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ylenia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Thienpont
authors.affiliation: Centre for Developmental Disorders, De Pintelaan 185-2K5, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Griet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dewitte
authors.affiliation: Department for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185-1P4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heindryckx
authors.affiliation: Centre for Developmental Disorders, De Pintelaan 185-2K5, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oostra
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Research Group Developmental Disorders, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roeyers
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Speech and Language Pathology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185-2P2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kristiane
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Lierde
authors.affiliation: Department for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185-1P4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sutter
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D061207:Calcium Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014888:Wechsler Scales
chemical_list: D061207:Calcium Ionophores
keywords: ICSI; assisted oocyte activation; child follow up; failed fertilization; ionomycine