Blastocyst embryo transfer is associated with a sex-ratio imbalance in favor of male offspring

Luna, M.; Duke, M.; Copperman, A.B.; Grunfeld, L.; Sandler, B.; Barritt, J.

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.06.058

Cited by 79 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…1.0129 to 1.1009, P= 0.0103), when (selective or elective) single embryo transfer is becoming the preferred treatment for all patients as it avoids complications associated with multiple pregnancies which presents a significant public health concern (33). The use of extended culture conditions during IVF and ICSI may favour selection of more male blastocysts for transfer as it is thought male embryos have greater pre-implantation developmental rates (8)(9)(10)(11)34). Evidence increasingly suggests that female and male embryos respond differently to in vitro culture conditions, due to the second X-chromosome present in females but not males retaining activity to the morula stage (35).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not only do these three ART methods differ technically, they may differentially affect the sex ratio at birth (8)(9)(10)(11), with a general tendency for more males being produced compared to among naturally born offspring. The sex ratio at conception (primary sex ratio), defined according to the numbers of oocytes fertilized by X-or Y-bearing spermatozoa, is difficult to assess (12) and is thus usually unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effects of assisted reproductive technologies on human sex ratio at birth

Maalouf

Mincheva

Campbell

et al. 2014

Fertility and Sterility

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of assisted reproductive technologies on human sex ratio at birth

Maalouf

Mincheva

Campbell

et al. 2014

Fertility and Sterility

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“…They either find more males born after fresh blastocyst transfer compared to spontaneous conception [19] or compared to day 3 transfer [8,17,21], or they show no differences neither in sex ratio nor in growth rate of embryos [9,23,[26][27][28][30][31][32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blastocyst transfer and gender: IVF versus ICSI

Hentemann

Briskemyr

Bertheussen

2009

J Assist Reprod Genet

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Purpose To investigate the difference in sex ratio in our centre after day 5 embryo transfer among neonates delivered after fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF), fresh intra cytoplasmatic sperminjection (ICSI) and frozen embryo replacement (FER) compared to expected sex ratio in normal population. Methods Retrospective data after IVF/ICSI/FER therapy from 1995 -2007 and data from the literature on similar subjects. Results Among a total of 420 births after day 5 transfer, there were 225 male and 195 female babies. However, after ICSI alone 30 were female and 21 male. Adding all available data from the literature on gender ratio after long term culture, the ratio of male births to total births (0.545) was significantly (p=0.004) different from the expected ratio (0.515) Conclusions It appears that significantly more males are born than expected after day 5 transfer in IVF. However, a subgroup analysis in our data comparing IVF, ICSI and FER revealed more females born after ICSI and FER, suggesting that further research is needed in this area.

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“…In 1994, Pergament et al 17 observed that the transfer of fast growth embryos resulted in more male births than female births. Other studies that have found skewed SSR in favour of males after BT [18][19][20] have attributed the excess of male births to the selection for transfer of fast growth male embryos. The suggestion is that, because there is sex-related differentiation in embryo development, and male embryos show, on average, more blastomeres at the time of transfer, more male embryos may be selected for transfer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The effect on human sex ratio at birth by assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures – an assessment of babies born following single embryo transfers, Australia and New Zealand, 2002–2006

Dean

Chapman

Sullivan

2010

BJOG

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Objective To assess the effect on the human sex ratio at birth by assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures.Design Retrospective population-based study.Setting Fertility clinics in Australia and New Zealand.Population The study included 13 368 babies by 13 165 women who had a single embryo transfer (SET) between 2002 and 2006.Methods Logistic regression was used to model the effect on the sex ratio at birth of ART characteristics [in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm insemination (ICSI) SET, cleavage-stage or blastocyst SET, and fresh or thawed SET] and biological characteristics (woman's and partner's age and cause of infertility).Main outcome measures Proportion of male births. ResultsThe crude sex ratio at birth was 51.3%. Individual ART procedures had a significant effect on the sex ratio at birth. More males were born following IVF SET (53.0%) than ICSI SET (50.0%), and following blastocyst SET (54.1%) than cleavage-stage SET (49.9%). For a specific ART regimen, IVF blastocyst SET produced more males (56.1%) and ICSI cleavage-stage SET produced fewer males (48.7%).Conclusions The change in the sex ratio at birth of SET babies is associated with the ART regimen. The mechanism of these effects remains unclear. Fertility clinics and patients should be aware of the bias in the sex ratio at birth when using ART procedures.Keywords ART births, blastocyst, cleavage-stage embryo, ICSI, IVF, logistic regression, sex ratio at birth, single embryo transfer.Please cite this paper as: Dean J, Chapman M, Sullivan E. The effect on human sex ratio at birth by assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures -an assessment of babies born following single embryo

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Blastocyst embryo transfer is associated with a sex-ratio imbalance in favor of male offspring

Cited by 79 publications

References 16 publications

Effects of assisted reproductive technologies on human sex ratio at birth

Effects of assisted reproductive technologies on human sex ratio at birth

Blastocyst transfer and gender: IVF versus ICSI

The effect on human sex ratio at birth by assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures – an assessment of babies born following single embryo transfers, Australia and New Zealand, 2002–2006

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