INFANTS CONCEIVED USING IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION DO NOT OVERUTILIZE HEALTH-CARE RESOURCES AFTER THE NEONATAL-PERIOD

Health outcomes during the first year for 95 infants born following in -vitro fertilization (IVF) were compared with those of 79 naturally co nceived controls whose mothers were of identical parity and similar ag e. Primigravid women were enrolled prospectively at 30 weeks gestation , perinatal and neonatal data were collected during pregnancy and foll owing birth, and details of health care resource use were obtained fro m mothers at 4 and 12 months. Median (range) number of medical problem s during the first year tended to be less for IVF infants, 4 (0-41) ve rsus 5 (0-12) (P = 0.07), whilst total number of visits to health care workers was similar for IVF and control infants, 19 (2-47) versus 19 (1-47), IVF infants were more likely to have an excessive number of vi sits to Early Childhood Health Care Centres [odds ratio (OR; 95% confi dence interval, CI) = 2.44 (1.11-5.56)], but less likely to have an ex cessive number of visits to general medical practitioners [OR = 0.45 ( 0.22-0.93)] and other health care workers [OR = 0.48 (0.23-0.99)], The se data provide some degree of reassurance about medium-term health ou tcomes for children conceived using IVF, Although they are more likely to utilize the resources of neonatal intensive care units, IVF infant s do not appear to have an increased number of medical problems or to over-utilize health care resources during the remainder of their first year of life.