Taking a long time to get pregnant may be associated with minor neurodevelopmental issues in the child, according to a new study published in Fetal & Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease in Childhood.
This implies that weakened fertility, defined as not becoming pregnant after 12 months, instead of the fertility treatment, could be a significant factor in any developmental issues that occur in the child.
Babies conceived via fertility treatment are at a greater risk for low birthweight and premature birth, however, evidence is now emphasizing that disrupted fertility is responsible, rather than fertility treatment.
Past research indicates that in vitro fertilization gives children a higher risk of birth defects.
For the current study, researchers analyzed the neurological development of 209 kids when they were two years old. Participating children were born to parents who had issues conceiving and most of whom had a fertility treatment.
They examined:
- posture and muscle tone
- eye-hand coordination (visuomotor function)
- movement (fine and gross motor functions)
- reflexes
Some neurological issues were seen in 17 (less than 8 percent) of the kids, and were much more common in those whose parents had taken longer to conceive.
The amount of time taken to become pregnant for these children’s parents averaged over four years, but was between 1.6 to 13 years.
The authors accounted for other factors, such as the parents’ ages, and found that a longer time to become pregnant was linked to a 30% elevated risk of giving birth to a child with mild neurodevelopmental problems.
The authors concluded:
“In conclusion, the present data suggest that increased time to pregnancy is associated with suboptimal neurological development. This implies that factors associated with subfertility may play a role in the genesis of neurodevelopmental problems.”
A study from last month revealed that a sedentary lifestyle can decrease sperm quality in men and result in fertility issues.
Written by Kelly Fitzgerald