Pregnancy and child developmental outcomes after preimplantation genetic screening: a meta-analytic and systematic review

Abstract

Background: In in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening (PGD/S) attempts to detect chromosomal abnormalities in embryos before implantation. Using the meta-analytic and qualitative review approaches, this study aims to evaluate the effect of PGD/S on clinical pregnancy, live births, and childhood outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a literature search using 1) PubMed and other search engines, and 2) an ancestry search by tracking references cited in prior work. After screening the studies, we extracted information pertinent to the meta-analysis. We calculated the effect sizes for clinical pregnancy and live birth rates, and performed a moderation analysis by maternal age, type of genetic screening, and timing of the biopsy. For childhood outcomes, we conducted a systematic review of studies reporting the anthropometric, psychomotor, cognitive, behavioral, and family functioning of PGD/S children.

Results: We included 26 studies for clinical pregnancy and live births, and 18 studies for childhood outcomes. Results indicated that women who underwent comprehensive chromosome screening-based PGD/S had significantly higher clinical pregnancy rates (rr 1.207, 95% CI 1.017-1.431) and live birth rates (rr 1.362, 95% CI 1.057-1.755) than those whose IVF treatment did not include PGD/S. Early childhood outcomes of PGD/S children did not differ from those of non-PGD/S children.

Conclusions: Comprehensive chromosome screening-based PGD/S can improve clinical pregnancy and live birth rates without adversely affecting functioning in childhood at least up to age 9. Results are discussed in the context of bioethical, financial, legal, and psychological issues surrounding PGD/S.

Keywords: Child development; In vitro fertilization; Pregnancy; Preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening.