IVF kids are doing just as well in school as their peers

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-01-25 06:00

Australia; VIC

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Children born from IVF are developing at the same rate as their non-IVF peers, according to international research. The researchers compiled data from an Australian Early Developmental Census, which measured development in children aged 4-6 across areas including physical health, social competence, language and cognitive skills and general knowledge, and NAPLAN results for children aged 7-9. Comparing IVF babies with spontaneously conceived babies across over 400,000 children, the researchers say there was no measurable difference in scores for either the development census or NAPLAN between IVF and non-IVF kids, suggesting IVF-conceived children aren't facing any additional developmental risks.

Expert Reaction

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Associate Professor Alex Polyakov is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne and is a Medical Director at Genea Fertility Melbourne

As a fertility specialist, I am pleased to see this study confirm what many in the field have long suspected: that children conceived through IVF are just as likely to develop normally as those conceived naturally. This research provides valuable reassurance for the thousands of couples who turn to IVF each year in their quest to start a family. It also serves as a reminder that, while IVF is a complex and demanding process, the end result is well worth it for the families it helps to create.

Last updated: 18 Aug 2023 4:50pm

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Journal/
conference: PLOS Medicine

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)

Funder: This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council through the Australian Federal Government Graduate Research Scheme (AK) and Mercy Foundation, through Mercy Perinatal (AK). Ferring Pharmaceutics supported this work through an unconditional research grant (AK). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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