Poor cardiovascular health is not more common among children conceived through the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a new meta-analysis published in European Heart Journal.[1]
Researchers explored data from nearly 36,000 children who were originally included in one of 14 different studies. The original studies occurred in Europe, Australia or Singapore, and children were followed up to young adulthood.
Overall, children conceived using ART and naturally conceived children have similar blood pressure levels, blood glucose levels and heart rates. Children conceived using ART did have slightly higher cholesterol levels, but this difference did not persist through adulthood.
“Parents conceiving or hoping to conceive through assisted reproductive technology and their offspring should be reassured that cardiometabolic health appears to be comparable in ART-conceived and naturally conceived children,” lead author Ahmed Elhakeem, BMedSci, MPH, PhD, a researcher with the University of Bristol, said in a prepared statement.
“Science and research move rapidly in the fertility sector, but it is widely acknowledged that more large-scale studies like this are needed to continually drive improvements in care,” added Peter Thompson, chief executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), in the same statement. “Health outcomes in children conceived using assisted reproductive technologies are a high priority for the HFEA and we monitor the latest research and provide information for patients and professionals.”
The study’s authors did note that additional research are still needed to answer questions about this topic that have yet to be fully answered.
“Studies with longer follow-up are needed to examine associations of ART with cardiometabolic health across adulthood, and investigate mechanisms that might link ART to subsequent outcomes, if evidence does emerge in later adulthood,” the group concluded. “Future research on epigenetics, metabolomics, and cardiovascular and arterial phenotypes may provide insight into possible underlying mechanisms.”
The group’s full analysis is available here. Their research was funded by the European Research Council, Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation and National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Center.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.