Childhood growth of singletons conceived following in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Assisted reproductive techniques are associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birthweight and intrauterine growth restriction. Yet, the long-term follow-up on the growth of these children is limited. Objective: To systematically review the literature on post-neonatal height and weight among children conceived following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment, compared with that of children born after spontaneous conception. Search strategy: A systematic computerised literature search using the online databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Selection criteria: Cohort or case–control studies with an exposed group of singletons conceived following IVF or ICSI along with a control group of spontaneously conceived singletons. Data collection and analysis: Studies were reviewed by at least two authors. Meta-analyses were conducted using Cochrane Review Manager. The quality of the studies was assessed with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Main results: Twenty studies were included, with 13 of these eligible for meta-analyses. The meta-analyses compared 3972 children born after IVF/ICSI with 11 012 spontaneously conceived children and revealed no statistically significant difference in child weight [mean difference (MD) in weight of −160 g; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) −360, 3]. When stratifying by age of child at follow-up, we found a significant lower weight in children aged 0–4 years conceived following IVF/ICSI treatment (MD −180 g; 95% CI −320, −4), but this was no longer significant in children from 5 years of age (MD −160 g; 95% CI −580, 260). The pooled analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in childhood height. Conclusions: In vitro fertilisation/ICSI was not associated with long-term weight and height. Tweetable abstract: Children born following IVF/ICSI do not have impaired long-term weight or height compared with spontaneously conceived children.