Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 8, 2162-2165,
August 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
The psychological status at school age of children conceived by in-vitro fertilization
1 Department of Pediatrics, 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA 23507, and 3 Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, USA
This study assessed the behavioural and psychological profiles of children conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) who are now at school age. A total of 743 IVF children born at one institution and now of school age, over 4 years old, were surveyed with Achenbach questionnaires. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with non-responders. The results from the study group were compared to the questionnaire control group using one-tailed t-test with statistical significance set less than 0.05. There was an 84% overall response rate. Sixty-seven per cent returned questionnaires. An additional 17% completed a telephone interview. The study group had no statistically significant increase in the rate of behavioural or psychological problems compared with the control group. There were no statistically significant differences within the study group related to sex or to multiple gestation IVF births. This large group of school-age IVF children has normal psychological development with no identified adverse effect of their status as IVF children. Determining the role, if any, of IVF in the very small number of children with behavioural and psychological problems will require additional study.
Key words: Achenbach/behavioural checklists/behavioural profile/in-vitro fertilization/psychological profile
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