Ayesha Arif, Noshaba Aslam, Tariq Zafar, Arif Tajammul.
A study of babies born after Intracytoplasmic Sperm injection.
Pak Paed J Jan ;31(1):8-16.

Background: With the advent of ART (assisted reproduction techniques) the face of fertility for humans has changed. Couples previously unable to have children of their own now have a practical option to aid in pursuit of their fertility. With growing numbers of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection) pregnancies, concerns regarding normality of these babies along with apprehension about their long term health are also mounting. This study was conducted to assess the growth and development of babies conceived by ICSI at the time of birth at the age of one month and subsequently at twelve months. Objective: To assess growth and developmental outcome of ICSI babies up to one year in comparison with babies born by spontaneous conception. Design: A prospective cohort study. Population: Twenty eight ICSI babies. Methods: All patients who underwent ICSI with a successful outcome from 15-10-2001 till 31-12-2004 were included. The outcome of pregnancy & gestational age were noted. The resulting neonates were evaluated critically at birth, 4 weeks & one year with regard to growth & development. The results were compared with age-matched controls and conclusions drawn. Main Outcome Measures: Growth parameters: weight, length and head circumference. Results: Comparison of weight, length & head circumference between the observed mean & the mean of normal population at various ages for both boys & girls separately revealed that most of the babies had weight, length & head circumference within normal ranges. After correction for gestational age, all the pre-term babies caught up growth within the first year of life. Conclusion: ICSI babies do not have an adverse outcome with regards to their growth. However long term follow up is necessary to properly assess the developmental outcome. This needs to be confirmed by multicenter studies.

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