Safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Early follow-up studies of IVF children showed that the frequency of birth anomalies resembled those arising with natural conception. More detailed analyses confirmed these findings, reinforcing the concept of the preimplantation period as teratologically "safe." The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to achieve fertilization introduced another variable.ICSI's safety has often been criticized because the fertilizing spermatozoon neither binds to the zona pellucida nor fuses with oolemma. Bypassing these physiologic steps together with the arbitrary selection of the spermatozoon has been reason for concern. Thus far, ICSI offspring undergoing adolescence and beyond has provided sufficient information to reassure these qualms. In fact, the health of the offspring generated through ICSI, once taken into consideration the gestational order, the age and the genetic makeup of the couples are generally reassuring.
The Ronald O. Perelman & Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1305 York Avenue, Suite 720, New York, NY, 10021, USA, gdpalerm@med.cornell.edu.
Gianpiero D
GD
Palermo
Queenie V
QV
Neri
Zev
Z
Rosenwaks
D001724:Birth Weight; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012449:Safety; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000254:growth & development