Children born to women after fertility treatment at greater risk of psychiatric disorders

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Jun-2014

Contact: Christine Bauquis christine@eshre.eu 32-499-258-046 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Munich, 30 June 2014: Children born to women with fertility problems have a higher risk of psychiatric disorders than naturally conceived children. The increase in risk was described as "modest" by researchers from Denmark, but was found to persist throughout childhood and into young adulthood.

The results, which are presented today at the 30th Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Munich by Dr Allan Jensen of the Danish Cancer Society Research Center at the University of Copenhagen, were derived from a register study of all children born in Denmark between 1969 and 2006.

From a grand total of 2,430,826 children, 124,384 (5%) were born to women with registered fertility problems and 2,306,442 children (95%) to women without such problems. All the children were followed up for psychiatric disorders until 2009.

During this follow-up period (a median of around 20 years), 170,240 children were hospitalised for a psychiatric disorder. Those born to women with fertility problems were found to have a 33% greater overall risk of any defined psychiatric disorders, which was statistically significant (HR 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.20-1.36).

Statistically significant hazard ratios for specific groups of psychiatric disorders were found for schizophrenia and psychoses (1.27, 1.16-1.38), affective disorders (1.32, 1.25-1.39), anxiety and other neurotic disorders (1.37, 1.32-1.42), mental and behavioural syndromes including eating disorders (1.13, 1.04-1.24), mental retardation (1.28, 1.17-1.40), mental development disorders including autism spectrum disorders (1.22, 1.16-1.28), and behavioural and emotional disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (1.40, 1.34-1.46), when compared with rates in naturally conceived children.

When separate analyses were performed for psychiatric disorders diagnosed during childhood (019 years) and in young adulthood (20 years), the investigators found that the risk estimates were not markedly changed, indicating that the increased risks persist into adulthood.

Commenting on the results, Dr Jensen said that professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of women with fertility problems should be aware of "the small, but potentially increased risk of psychiatric disorders among the children born to women with fertility problems". However, this knowledge, he added, "should always be balanced against the physical and psychological benefits of a pregnancy".

Continue reading here:
Children born to women after fertility treatment at greater risk of psychiatric disorders