Reassuring results: Longitudinal evidence shows conception via assisted reproductive technology has no adverse mental health effects on children
1
Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2196
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The mental health outcomes of children conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) remain a topic of ongoing debate. While prior research indicates that ART‑conceived children typically achieve physical and cognitive milestones comparable to their spontaneously conceived peers, several studies have suggested potential associations between ART conception and increased risks of mental health conditions—particularly depression and attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during adolescence 1,2. This study examined whether maternal use of ART is associated with a higher likelihood of mental disorders among offspring and whether these associations differ by sex or reflect underlying sociological or obstetric differences common in ART populations.
METHODS:
Data were drawn from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative cross‑sequential longitudinal cohort 3. Mental health outcomes in young adulthood were analysed in relation to maternal ART use, including in‑vitro fertilisation and fertility‑enhancing medications. Logistic regression models were developed to assess both crude and adjusted associations. Covariates included maternal age, birth weight, prenatal smoking and alcohol use, gestational diabetes, hypertension, postnatal depression, and socioeconomic status.
RESULTS:
Across the LSAC cohort, there was no evidence of an association between ART conception and the development of mental disorders in young adulthood. This null relationship persisted both before and after adjustment for sociological and obstetric covariates, and no sex‑specific differences were identified.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings from this population‑based longitudinal study indicate that ART conception does not increase the risk of mental health disorders in offspring as they transition into adulthood. These results offer reassuring evidence for individuals and families considering or using ART, supporting the view that children conceived through ART have comparable psychological and neurodevelopmental outcomes to their non‑ART‑conceived peers.
The mental health outcomes of children conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) remain a topic of ongoing debate. While prior research indicates that ART‑conceived children typically achieve physical and cognitive milestones comparable to their spontaneously conceived peers, several studies have suggested potential associations between ART conception and increased risks of mental health conditions—particularly depression and attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during adolescence 1,2. This study examined whether maternal use of ART is associated with a higher likelihood of mental disorders among offspring and whether these associations differ by sex or reflect underlying sociological or obstetric differences common in ART populations.
METHODS:
Data were drawn from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative cross‑sequential longitudinal cohort 3. Mental health outcomes in young adulthood were analysed in relation to maternal ART use, including in‑vitro fertilisation and fertility‑enhancing medications. Logistic regression models were developed to assess both crude and adjusted associations. Covariates included maternal age, birth weight, prenatal smoking and alcohol use, gestational diabetes, hypertension, postnatal depression, and socioeconomic status.
RESULTS:
Across the LSAC cohort, there was no evidence of an association between ART conception and the development of mental disorders in young adulthood. This null relationship persisted both before and after adjustment for sociological and obstetric covariates, and no sex‑specific differences were identified.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings from this population‑based longitudinal study indicate that ART conception does not increase the risk of mental health disorders in offspring as they transition into adulthood. These results offer reassuring evidence for individuals and families considering or using ART, supporting the view that children conceived through ART have comparable psychological and neurodevelopmental outcomes to their non‑ART‑conceived peers.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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