Assisted Reproductive Technology and Birth Defects: Effects of Subfertility and Multiple Births.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been associated with birth defects, but the contributions of multiple births and underlying subfertility remain unclear. We evaluated the effects of subfertility and mediation by multiple births on associations between ART and nonchromosomal birth defects.

Methods

We identified a retrospective cohort of Massachusetts live births and stillbirths from 2004 to 2010 among ART-exposed, ART-unexposed subfertile, and fertile mothers using linked information from fertility clinics, vital records, hospital discharges, and birth defects surveillance. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Mediation analyses were performed to deconstruct the ART-birth defects association in

SUBMITTER: Liberman RF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5555800 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature