The purpose of this project was to compare NICU admission rates of children conceived via assisted reproductive technology with that of the naturally conceived population.

A retrospective cohort study was constructed using a consent-based registry to identify and follow-up children born via ART. Register and NICU admission records were linked and comparisons made (with allowance for confounding) between admission rates in the naturally conceived population and the ART cohort by logistic regression. The project was performed in accordance with HFEA regulations and had ethical approval.

NICU admission rates of singleton infants conceived following ART were significantly lower that their naturally conceived peers when adjusted for combinations of hospital with gestation and year. Unadjusted admission rates for singletons were not different.

Twins conceived following ART were admitted to NICU 17% less frequently than the naturally conceived population in unadjusted admission rates. Adjustments for gestational age exacerbated this difference.