033 - Association of In Vitro Fertilization with Blood Pressure and Adiposity in Early Childhood

Publication Number: 33.3752

Katie Margolis, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, United States; Ashley V. Trinh, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States; Peter K. Gregersen, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States; Dorota Gruber, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health, Great Neck, NY, United States; Christine Sethna, Cohen Childrens Medical Center, Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY, United States

Background: In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become an increasingly prevalent treatment for infertility. However, the specific health outcomes of children conceived by IVF are not well-studied. Evidence on blood pressure and adiposity in children conceived by IVF is limited.

Objective: To determine the association of conception via IVF with childhood BP and adiposity outcomes at age three.

Design/Methods: An ancillary study was conducted of mother-child pairs enrolled in the Generations Project, a longitudinal, observational, population-based study of infants born at three Northwell Health tertiary hospitals. Dyads with complete data on maternal IVF exposure and child casual BP, height, and weight measured at the 3-year well-child visit were included. Outcomes were systolic/diastolic BP index (BP/95th percentile for height and sex), elevated BP and hypertensive BP at age 3 (AAP 2017). Adiposity outcomes included BMI Z-scores and obesity status at age 3. Regression models adjusted for child sex, race, maternal education, and insurance were used to examine the association between IVF and outcomes.

Results: 126 mothers and 128 children were analyzed (Table 1A). There were no significant cohort differences between mothers who used IVF and those who did not (Table 1A). Systolic BP index was significantly higher for children conceived by IVF (p=0.02) (Table 1B). IVF was associated with greater odds of elevated BP status (OR 3.52 CI 1.04-12.0 p=0.04) (Table 2). There were no significant associations between IVF and adiposity outcomes at age 3 (Table 2).

Conclusion(s): IVF is associated with changes in childhood BP at age 3. It is of interest to examine maternal and perinatal factors to help formulate more effective strategies in managing childhood elevated BP.

Table 1A. Cohort Description - Mothers


Table 1B. Cohort Description - Children


Table 2. Linear and logistic regression models adjusting for child sex, child race, maternal education and insurance.