A nationwide analysis of more than 8000 ART children finds no difference in educational test scores.
The study’s findings were presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology Annual Scientific Meeting (ESHRE) on in Lisbon this week.
The academic performance of children conceived by assisted reproduction techniques (ART) is no better or worse than that of spontaneously conceived children when assessed at the ninth grade of their school education.(1)
Similarly, ART singletons and ART twins also had comparable test scores, suggesting, say the investigators, that “the higher obstetric risk” identified in ART pregnancies – and particularly in twins – “is not associated with poorer academic performance in adolescence”.
Associate Peter Illingworth, Medical Director IVFAustralia said, “These are very important findings. IVF is a relatively new approach to conceiving children and all would-be parents going through IVF are worried about the normality of their children as they grow up. These data, on older high school children, are very reassuring evidence of healthy normal children after IVF.”
