Children Born After Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Compared with Spontaneously Conceived Children a Prospective Study

Objective: To study the outcome of ICSI conceived children in our IVF center; their growth, their psychomotor development and to find out possible birth defects and genetic anomalies. Material and Methods: This is a prospective survey about ICSI conceived children and naturally conceived children in our IVF center over the period between 2007 and 2012. One hundred ICSI children aged between 2 and 6 years were invited in order to get a thorough physical examination and to undergo ultrasound imaging and genetic explorations for birth defects. One hundred naturally conceived children paired by age and sexduring the same period were taken as a control population. Results: The comparison of both ICSI and natural conception groups showed that the rate of prematurity was higher in the ICSI group with 50% vs 6% in the natural conception group, p vs 4% in the natural conception group, p vs 4%; p<0.05). These malformations were mainly facial, cardiac, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, neurological, urogenital and inguinal hernia type. In the ICSI group, there was a male predominance (sex ratio=1.3) without any significant difference, while in the control group there was no sex predominance. As for genetic anomalies, 3% of balanced genetic defects were detected in the ICSI children, 1% of which were in the sexual chromosomes and 2% in the autosomes. These anomalies were found in 2 boys and one girl without any significant difference. Conclusion: This work is greatly reassuring about the future of ICSI children. Larger series with long term follow-up are needed as an only guarantee in assessing the safety of ICSI technique.