Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as In vitro fertilisation have been associated with cardiovascular and imprinting disorders in offspring. One possible explanation for the increased disease risk associated with ARTs is that the ART process effects offspring DNA methylation. Whether DNA is methylated at certain locations on the genome changes how much a gene is expressed and the level of DNA methylation has been associated with various diseases.
In this study we are aiming to investigate how the cord blood DNA methylation of offspring conceived by ARTs differs from cord blood DNA methylation of offspring conceived naturally. We will use the children of the ARIES project for whom there is a large selection of data gathered through questionnaires as well as genome-wide DNA methylation data.
By investigating the differences in DNA methylation between offspring conceived naturally and those conceived by ARTs we hope to confirm if DNA methylation is a mechanism for how ARTs modify disease risk for the offspring.