title: Congenital malformations, chromosomal abnormalities and perinatal results in IVF/ICSI newborns resulting from very poor quality embryos: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether the transfer of very poor quality (VPQ) embryos is associated with an increase in congenital malformations or perinatal problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case-control study, 74 children conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) resulting exclusively from the transfer of VPQ embryos were compared with 1,507 children born after the transfer of top morphological quality (TQ) embryos over the same period of time in the same centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of birth defects in children resulting from VPQ embryos was 1.35% (1/74), similar to the 1.72% (26/1,507) when only TQ embryos were transferred; the rate of chromosomal abnormalities detected was also similar (0.0 vs. 0.4%), as was perinatal mortality. After correcting for multiplicity (higher in the TQ group), the aforementioned parameters remained similar in the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital malformations and perinatal complications do not seem to be more common in children born after transfer of VPQ embryos in IVF/ICSI cycles. Given our preliminary data, which need to be confirmed in much larger studies, when only VPQ embryos are available for transfer in IVF/ICSI cycles, we do not believe that they should be discarded with the intention of avoiding birth defects or perinatal complications.
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vizcaya, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Los Santos
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Larreategui
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayerdi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Expósito
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez Indart
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Pijoan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matorras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000196:embryology*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*