Physical health of singleton children born after frozen embryo transfer using slow freezing: a 3-year follow-up study

Pelkonen, S.; Gissler, Mika; Koivurova, Sari; Lehtinen, Satu; Martikainen, Hannu; Al, Hartikainen; Tiitinen, Aila

doi:10.1093/humrep/dev203

Cited by 28 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Our results also indicated that freeze-thawing procedure, as well as ICSI, might increase the risks of immune dysfunction in offspring. Though the risks of hospital admission in FET-conceived children and asthma medication in ART-conceived children have been reported to be higher than CTRL conceived children 32,33 , direct evidence regarding the effects of ART on the immune system is lacking so far and long-term follow-up studies are required. Previous studies have revealed elevated rates of preeclampsia in women who have undergone FET 34 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic Effects of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Human Offspring

Chen

Peng

et al. 2019

Preprint

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19The births of more than 8 million infants have been enabled globally through assisted 20 reproductive technologies (ARTs), including conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) and 21 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with either fresh embryo transfer (ET) or frozen embryo 22 transfer (FET). However, the potential for elevated risks of ART-related disorders persists in adult 23 life, and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms are largely uncharacterized. Here, we recruited 100 24 nuclear families and profiled the DNA methylomes, genome-wide histone modifications and 25 transcriptomes to clarify the inherent extra risks attributable to specific ART procedures. We 26 discovered that IVF-ET seemed to introduce less disturbance into the infant epigenome than IVF-27 FET or ICSI-ET did. Furthermore, we noted approximately half of the DNA methylomic changes 28 in ART-conceived offspring could be explained by parental background biases. Through removal 29 of the parental effect, we confirmed that ART per se would introduce minor DNA methylation 30 changes locally. More importantly, we found that ART-induced epigenomic alterations were highly 31 enriched in the processes which might contribute to increased incidence of preeclampsia during 32 pregnancy and metabolic syndrome in offspring. Overall, our study provides an epigenetic basis 33 for the potential long-term health risks in ART-conceived offspring that reinforces the need to 34 review all methods of human ART. 35 Introduction 36Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has become routine in infertile treatment; indeed, 37 more than eight million ART-conceived infants have been born worldwide 1 . However, 38 conventional in vitro fertilization and fresh embryo transfer (IVF-ET) will introduce extraordinary 39 changes in the environment where oocytes mature and the early embryo develops 2 . Moreover, 40 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which was initially used to address severe male infertility, 41 has replaced IVF as the most commonly used method for ART-mediated fertilization in many 42 countries 3 . This more invasive fertilization procedure introduces additional mechanical damage, 43 bypasses the complicated process of sperm-egg recognition and alters a series of downstream 44 reactions 4 . Embryo cryopreservation enables embryos to be preserved for further transplantation, 45 but both cryogens and freeze-thawing operation may cause damage to embryos 5 . All those 46 unfavorable factors have raised concerns regarding the long-term health of ART-conceived 47 children in recent years 6 . Despite claims to the contrary 7-9 , accumulating evidences have linked 48 ART with potentially increased risks of neurodevelopmental disorders, cardiovascular dysfunction 49 and metabolic abnormity in offspring and preeclampsia during pregnancy 10,11 . 50 Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, play key roles 51 in regulating gene expression and are relatively sensitive to environmental factors 12 . 52 Preimplantation embry...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic Effects of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Human Offspring

Chen

Peng

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Embryo freezing can also be offered to single women with TS using donor sperm after counselling about the implications. Emerging data suggest similar pregnancy rates and better perinatal outcomes and health of children born through the use of frozen embryos compared to fresh IVF/ICSI treatment …”

Section: Routes To Parenthood For Women With Turner Syndromementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Routes To Parenthood For Women With Turner Syndromementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emerging data suggest similar pregnancy rates and better perinatal outcomes and health of children born through the use of frozen embryos compared to fresh IVF/ICSI treatment. 31,32 The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) regulates fertility treatment in the UK. All fertility clinics in the UK are audited and supervised by the HFEA to ensure they meet the required regulatory standards.…”

Section: Assisted Reproductive Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is some evidence to suggest similar pregnancy rates and better perinatal outcomes and health of children born through the use of frozen embryos compared to the use of fresh IVF/ICSI treatment in the general infertile population. 31,32 However, there is no good evidence on pregnancy outcomes for women with TS who undergo oocyte or embryo freezing. Table 2 provides information on the suitable fertility preservation techniques for women with TS, taking into consideration pubertal status, ovarian activity and their individual circumstances.…”

Section: Embryo Freezingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Routes to parenthood for women with Turner syndrome

Mascarenhas

Oliver

Bhandari

2019

The Obstetric & Gynaecologis

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Key content Turner syndrome (TS) is the most common form of sex chromosome aneuploidy in women. Most women with TS have primary amenorrhoea, although some women with mosaic TS may have spontaneous menarche but have a significantly reduced ovarian reserve. Women with TS face higher obstetric and neonatal risks in pregnancy, and pregnancy may be contraindicated for some. Natural conception can occur in up to 8% of women with TS. For those with TS, assisted reproductive techniques using the woman's own eggs is possible for those with ovarian activity. For women with premature ovarian insufficiency, the use of donor gametes/embryos is possible, or surrogacy is an option for those with an underdeveloped uterus. Fertility preservation is possible for affected women with good ovarian reserve and offers an opportunity to achieve pregnancy when they are physically and psychologically ready. Learning objectives To understand the underlying pathophysiology of the impact of TS on reproductive life. To be aware of the specific risks women with TS face during pregnancy. To be able to counsel women with TS regarding their available options for parenthood. Ethical issues Does refusing fertility treatment to women with TS who have contraindications to pregnancy violate patient autonomy, or is it unethical to proceed with fertility treatment because it risks maternal death? Can girls with TS who have not yet reached the legal age of consent undergo oocyte freezing (if post‐pubertal) or ovarian tissue freezing (if pre‐pubertal)?

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