UGALKORTASUN ARAZOETAN ERABILITAKO TEKNIKAK ETA NEUROGARAPENAREN ARAZOAK

Abstract

Infertility can be defined as the inability of a couple in their fertile age to achieve pregnancy after regular unprotected sexual intercourse or achieving pregnancy but then losing it. Many couples suffering from infertility are treated with three main therapeutic strategies: pharmacological therapy, surgical therapy (mostly endoscopy), and Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART). The impact of ART on the health of children is a constant concern. Among these impacts, some studies indicate that children born through these techniques are more likely to develop neuropsychiatric disorders. Therefore, the objectives of this work were to examine the association between ART and neurodevelopmental problems such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, and to identify possible confounding factors that may affect the previous relationships. Among the prospective, retrospective or case-control cohort studies published in the Pubmed database since 2015, eight and five studies were used to analyze the outcomes of ASD and ADHD, respectively. Although most studies have associated the use of ART with an increased risk of ASD, most of the results were not statistically significant after adjustments. Two articles associated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) with a significantly higher risk of ASD compared with IVF and spontaneous pregnancy. Regarding ADHD, no studies found an association between ART and ADHD. Different confounding factors were examined in these studies, the most important confounding factorsbeing fertility problems, preterm birth, and multiple pregnancies. Collected data suggest that further research on the association between ART (ICSI in particular) and these neurodevelopmental disorders is needed.