Children born to subfertile couples, how are they doing? Evidence from research.

More than 10 million children have been born with assisted reproductive technology (ART) as we begin to enter the third generation of individuals conceived by ART. Here we summarise key messages from an enlarging body of literature regarding their health. Earlier research had pointed towards increases in perinatal, neonatal and neurological risks, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, congenital malformations and cerebral palsy.

National Trends in Preterm Infant Mortality in the United States by Race and Socioeconomic Status, 1995-2020.

Importance: Inequalities in preterm infant mortality exist between population subgroups within the United States.

Objective: To characterize trends in preterm infant mortality by maternal race and socioeconomic status to assess how inequalities in preterm mortality rates have changed over time.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a retrospective longitudinal descriptive study using the US National Center for Health Statistics birth infant/death data set for 12 256 303 preterm infant births over 26 years, between 1995 and 2020.

Population-based screening methods in biliary atresia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate tested methods of population-based biliary atresia (BA) screening.

Design: We searched 11 databases between 1 January 1975 and 12 September 2022. Data extraction was independently done by two investigators.

The risks of birth defects and childhood cancer with conception by assisted reproductive technology.

Study Question: Is there an association between fertility status, method of conception and the risks of birth defects and childhood cancer?

Summary Answer: The risk of childhood cancer had two independent components: (i) method of conception and (ii) presence, type and number of birth defects.

What Is Known Already: The rarity of the co-occurrence of birth defects, cancer and ART makes studying their association challenging. Prior studies have indicated that infertility and ART are associated with an increased risk of birth defects or cancer but have been limited by small sample size and inadequate statistical power, failure to adjust for or include plurality, differences in definitions and/or methods of ascertainment, lack of information on ART treatment parameters or study periods spanning decades resulting in a substantial historical bias as ART techniques have improved.

General health in a cohort of children conceived after assisted reproductive technology in the United Kingdom: a population-based record-linkage study.

Background: Assisted reproductive technology use is increasing annually; however, data on long-term child health outcomes including hospital admissions are limited.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the potential effects of assisted reproductive technology on any and cause-specific hospital admissions unrelated to perinatal diagnoses.

Study Design: This was a population-based record-linkage study that included a previously established cohort of children born after assisted reproductive technology in the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2009 (n=63,877), their naturally conceived siblings (n=11,343), and matched naturally conceived population controls (n=127,544) linked to their postnatal health outcomes up to March 31, 2016 to provide robust risk estimates of the potential effects of assisted reproductive technology on any and cause-specific hospital admissions unrelated to perinatal diagnoses.

Developing a taxonomy of care coordination for people living with rare conditions: a qualitative study.

Background: Improving care coordination is particularly important for individuals with rare conditions (who may experience multiple inputs into their care, across different providers and settings). To develop and evaluate strategies to potentially improve care coordination, it is necessary to develop a method for organising different ways of coordinating care for rare conditions. Developing a taxonomy would help to describe different ways of coordinating care and in turn facilitate development and evaluation of pre-existing and new models of care coordination for rare conditions.

Development of models of care coordination for rare conditions: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Improving care coordination for people with rare conditions may help to reduce burden on patients and carers and improve the care that patients receive. We recently developed a taxonomy of different ways of coordinating care for rare conditions. It is not yet known which models of care coordination are appropriate in different situations.

Priorities for child health research across the UK and Ireland.

Background: The General and Adolescent Paediatric Research Network in the UK and Ireland (GAPRUKI) was established in 2016. The aims of GAPRUKI are to unite general paediatricians around the UK and Ireland, to develop research ideas and protocols, and facilitate delivery of multicentre research.

Objectives: To undertake a research prioritisation exercise among UK and Ireland general paediatricians.

Cost of neonatal abstinence syndrome: an economic analysis of English national data held in the National Neonatal Research Database.

Objective: To determine the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) across neonatal units, explore healthcare utilisation and estimate the direct cost to the NHS.

Design: Population cohort study.

Setting: NHS neonatal units, using data held in the National Neonatal Research Database.

How are patients with rare diseases and their carers in the UK impacted by the way care is coordinated? An exploratory qualitative interview study.

Background: Care coordination is considered important for patients with rare conditions, yet research addressing the impact of care coordination is limited. This study aimed to explore how care coordination (or lack of) impacts on patients and carers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients and carers/parents in the UK, representing a range of rare conditions (including undiagnosed conditions).

Risks of nonchromosomal birth defects, small-for-gestational age birthweight, and prematurity with in vitro fertilization: effect of number of embryos transferred and plurality at conception versus at birth.

Purpose: Excess embryos transferred (ET) (> plurality at birth) and fetal heartbeats (FHB) at 6 weeks' gestation are associated with reductions in birthweight and gestation, but prior studies have been limited by small sample sizes and limited IVF data. This analysis evaluated associations between excess ET, excess FHB, and adverse perinatal outcomes, including the risk of nonchromosomal birth defects.

Methods: Live births conceived via IVF from Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, and Texas included 138,435 children born 2004-2013 (Texas), 2004-2016 (Massachusetts and North Carolina), and 2004-2017 (New York) were classified by ET and FHB.

Defining critical factors in multi-country studies of assisted reproductive technologies (ART): data from the US and UK health systems.

As the worldwide use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) continues to grow, there is a critical need to assess the safety of these treatment parameters and the potential adverse health effects of their use in adults and their offspring. While key elements remain similar across nations, geographic variations both in treatments and populations make generalizability challenging. We describe and compare the demographic factors between the USA and the UK related to ART use and discuss implications for research.

Defining Coordinated Care for People with Rare Conditions: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: To coordinate care effectively for rare conditions, we need to understand what coordinated care means. This review aimed to define coordinated care and identify components of coordinated care within the context of rare diseases; by drawing on evidence from chronic conditions.

Methods: A systematic scoping review.

In vitro fertilization and risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: associations with treatment parameters.

Background: Although in vitro fertilization has been associated with an increased risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, the association of risk with in vitro fertilization treatment parameters is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by maternal fertility status and in vitro fertilization treatment parameters.

Materials And Methods: Women in 8 states who underwent in vitro fertilization resulting in a live birth during 2004-2013 were linked to their infant's birth certificates.

Educational attainment in childhood cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess differences across educational outcomes in survivors of childhood cancer (CCS) compared with peers.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Data Sources And Study Selection: Medline, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL and PsycInfo from inception to 1st August 2018.

A child in shock: carotid blowout syndrome.

Paediatricians commonly encounter neck lumps during their routine clinical practice; vascular abnormalities, such as (pseudo)aneurysms, are a rare cause of these. Pseudoaneurysms of the carotid artery in children are usually the result of blunt or penetrating trauma, infection or vasculitis/connective tissue disorders. They can present with a variety of symptoms including neck pain, as a pulsatile neck mass or with compressive symptoms (for example, cranial nerve palsies or dyspnoea).

Male Infertility and Future Cardiometabolic Health: Does the Association Vary by Sociodemographic Factors?

Objective: To determine whether the association between male infertility and incident cardiometabolic disease is modified by socioeconomics, race, or geographic region.

Materials And Method: Retrospective review of data from insurance claims from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database. Subjects were men, 18-50 years old, with an associated diagnosis of infertility in the United States between 2003 and 2016.

A systematic review of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in childhood.

Background: Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is a significant cause of death in childhood epilepsy, and causes considerable concern to patients and their families. Despite this, the condition remains poorly understood. This systematic review investigates the risk factors, pathophysiology, and circumstances associated with childhood SUDEP.

Risks of ovarian, breast, and corpus uteri cancer in women treated with assisted reproductive technology in Great Britain, 1991-2010: data linkage study including 2.2 million person years of observation.

Objective: To investigate the risks of ovarian, breast, and corpus uteri cancer in women who have had assisted reproduction.

Design: Large, population based, data linkage cohort study.

Setting And Participants: All women who had assisted reproduction in Great Britain, 1991-2010, as recorded by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: A Study Using Group Trajectory Analysis.

Background: Looked-after children in local authority care are among the most disadvantaged, and measures of their well-being, including educational outcomes, are poorer than other children's.

Methods: The study sample consisted of all children in England born in academic years 1993 to 1994 through 1997 to 1998 who were in local authority care at any point during the academic years 2005 to 2006 through 2012 to 2013 and for whom results of national tests in literacy and numeracy were available at ages 7, 11, and 16 ( = 47 500).

Results: Group trajectory analysis of children's educational progress identified 5 trajectory groups: low achievement, late improvement, late decline, predominant, and high achievement.

Clobazam and Its Use in Epilepsy.

Clobazam (CLB) is an older anti-epileptic drug, with a slightly different chemical structure from that of the classic benzodiazepines currently used in the treatment of epilepsy, which confers less sedative properties in terms of negative adverse effects. It is also thought to be better tolerated than other anti-epileptic drugs, whilst maintaining a very similar level of efficacy. It has been tested extensively in over 50 studies on more than 3000 patients with epilepsy and is now approved as an adjunctive treatment of epilepsy in >100 countries.

National hospital data for intussusception: Data linkage and retrospective analysis to assess quality and use in vaccine safety surveillance.

Objectives: To assess the quality of national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data for intussusception, and evaluate this routinely collected database for rotavirus vaccine safety surveillance by estimating pre-vaccination trends in intussusception hospitalisation.

Methods: Data linkage was performed between HES and prospective intussusception data from the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU), followed by capture-recapture analysis to verify HES data quality. Inclusion criteria were infants aged less than 12 months and admitted for intussusception to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England from March 2008 to March 2009.

Paternal Age, Paternal Presence and Children's Health: An Observational Study.

In an observational study of 31,257 children we investigated the effects of paternal age at the time of the child's birth, paternal absence and non-biological fathers on children's health. Results are per 5 year change in paternal age. Older fathers were associated with lower rates of unintentional injuries, odds ratio (OR)=0.