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Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology)  2013, Vol. 14 Issue (11): 947-960    DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1300101
Review     
An overview of studies on psychological well-being in children born following assisted reproductive technologies
Qi-tao Zhan, Pei-pei Pan, Xiang-rong Xu, Hang-ying Lou, Yi-yun Lou, Fan Jin
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China
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Abstract  Over the course of the past 35 years, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have been increasingly used worldwide, while debates on their safety have been generated. Birth defects and imprinting disorders were reported in previous research. Thus, the psychological development of children born following ARTs has become a major concern nowadays. This review gives a systematic view of psychological well-being of children conceived by different types of ART, including in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening, and in vitro maturation. The previous studies are analyzed in three sections: (1) cognitive, motor, and language developments, (2) behavior problems and socio-emotional development, and (3) parent-child relationship. We conclude that although the majority of the studies on cognitive, motor, and language developments reported comparable achievements in the ART group vs. the naturally conceived group, lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, worse visual-motor ability or locomotor development, and delayed receptive language competence were found in the ART group. The results on the socio-emotional development were reassuring. As for the behavior problems, a higher prevalence of behavior problems existed in ART children; moreover, ICSI children were found to be at a higher risk of autism than the general population. Meanwhile, ART parents tended to have positive parental attitudes and be more protective of their children. Some suggestions for further research are also given in this review.

Key wordsAssisted reproductive technologies      Psychological well-being      Behavior problems      Parent-child relationship     
Received: 04 April 2013      Published: 04 November 2013
CLC:  B844.1  
  R321-33  
Cite this article:

Qi-tao Zhan, Pei-pei Pan, Xiang-rong Xu, Hang-ying Lou, Yi-yun Lou, Fan Jin. An overview of studies on psychological well-being in children born following assisted reproductive technologies. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology), 2013, 14(11): 947-960.

URL:

http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/10.1631/jzus.B1300101     OR     http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/Y2013/V14/I11/947

[1] Yue-hong Lu, Ning Wang, Fan Jin. Long-term follow-up of children conceived through assisted reproductive technology[J]. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology), 2013, 14(5): 359-371.