Subfecundity, Infertility Treatment, and Child Neurodevelopment

Is infertility treatment or underlying subfecundity associated with adverse child neurodevelopment?In this cohort study including a national sample of 15 382 mother-infant dyads, subfecundity was associated with more behavior problems, more autism-like symptoms, and higher odds of autism spectrum disorder among offspring, even among those who were conceived naturally. In a subsample with infertility treatment data, non-IVF infertility treatment was associated with higher odds of offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder compared with natural conception with or without subfecundity.This cohort study found that subfecundity was associated with adverse child neurodevelopment independent of infertility treatment; specific indications for non-IVF infertility treatment may explain part of the observed association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Corresponding Author: Linda G. Kahn, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 227 E 30th St, Room 607, New York, NY 10016 (linda.kahn@nyulangone.org).

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