Increased time to pregnancy is associated with suboptimal neurological condition of 2-year-olds

Objective: To evaluate whether time to pregnancy (TTP) is associated with neurological condition of 2-year-old children born to subfertile parents.

Design: Data collected in a prospective, assessor-blinded follow-up study were used for cross-sectional analyses.

Patients: Participants were the singletons of the Groningen assisted reproductive technique cohort study: all children were born to subfertile couples (n=209). The active waiting TTP of the couples obtained from fertility charts was recorded in years and months, and was converted to decimal years.

Main outcome measure: The presence of minor neurological dysfunction (MND), assessed with the Hempel examination.

Results: MND was present in 16 (7.7%) children. TTP of children with MND (median 4.1, range 1.6-13.2) was significantly longer than that of children without MND (median 2.8, range 0.1-13.3; Mann-Whitney U test p=0.014). Logistic regression analysis on the contribution of TTP to MND resulted in a crude OR of 1.27 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.54). After correction for gestational age, parental age and parental level of education, the association remained statistically significant: OR=1.30 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.61).

Conclusions: Increased TTP was associated with suboptimal neurological development in 2-year-old children. This suggests that subfertility and its determinants are involved in the genesis of neurodevelopmental problems.