This thesis describes the Leiden Artificial Reproductive Techniques Follow-up Project. In this project, the potential long-term effects of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were assessed in 5... Show moreThis thesis describes the Leiden Artificial Reproductive Techniques Follow-up Project. In this project, the potential long-term effects of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were assessed in 5 __ 8-year-old singleton children. ICSI is the method of artificial reproduction in which a sperm cel is injected into an oocyte using a microinjection pipette. The technique is mainly successful in overcoming male factor infertility. Concerns about the development and health of ICSI-children have existed since the introduction of the technique in 1992, because ICSI is more invasive than the more widespread technique of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In this project, 87 ICSI-children born as a singleton were compared with 87 singletons born after IVF and 85 singletons born after natural conception at 5-8 years of age, on various parameters: neuromotor development, cognitive development, pregnancy, perinatal outcome, congenital malformations, general health, growth, medical care utilisation, behaviour, parenting stress, and child quality of life. Although the results remain inconclusive on some outcomes, the majority of concerns regarding development and health of ICSI-children can be dispelled up to 8 years of age, in particular when ICSI is compared to IVF. Show less
