B4571 - ART-HEALTH Conception by assisted reproductive technologies and offspring health - 18/03/2024

B number: 
B4571
Principal applicant name: 
Ahmed Elhakeem | MRC IEU
Co-applicants: 
Prof Deborah Lawlor, Dr Naixue Cue
Title of project: 
ART-HEALTH: Conception by assisted reproductive technologies and offspring health
Proposal summary: 

Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples. With increasing numbers of assisted reproductive technology (ART) conceptions, understanding the effects of ART on maternal and offspring health has been designated a major research priority. Research to date has been highlighted as having limited quality and lacking methodological transparency. In ART-HEALTH we use a robust, systematic approach of triangulating different sources of evidence to address this.

Impact of research: 
The project will provide high quality evidence on the health of people born after ART. The findings can establish if offspring born by ART should be followed more closely by medical personnel. The project will provide evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for healthcare providers, reproductive specialists, and legislators to ensure their optimal well-being and long-term health.
Date proposal received: 
Friday, 15 March, 2024
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 18 March, 2024
Keywords: 
Epidemiology, Fertility/infertility, Pregnancy - e.g. reproductive health, postnatal depression, birth outcomes, etc., NMR, Birth outcomes, Blood pressure, BMI, Cohort studies - attrition, bias, participant engagement, ethics, Genetic epidemiology, Growth, Mendelian randomisation