[Psychological condition of children from pregnancies after assisted reproduction in the third year of life].

Objective: To analyse psychological development of children born after assisted reproductive technology.

Design: Psychological analysis of the child's development related to the technology of assisted reproduction, length of pregnancy and multiple birth was performed and compared with the control group.

Setting: Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Prague.

Methods: Out of the total number of 123 children born after assisted reproductive technology during the 1st half of the year 1998 in the Center ISCARE IVF, psychological development was evaluated in 109 children (88.6%). Ninety four children from this sample were assessed using mental, motor and behavior scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.

Results: Mental and motor development of infants born after intracytoplasmatic injection (ICSI) and after in-vitro-fertilisation (IVF) was not significantly different. Fullterm singletons born after assisted reproductive technology did not differ from control fullterm children. There was a developmental delay in both fullterm and preterm children from multiple pregnancies in comparison to control children. No child had serious impairment of psychic functions (developmental index <50). There were no significant differences in behavior records between children born after assisted reproductive technology and control children, but some parents had problems in educational care of their children born after assisted reproductive technology.

Conclusion: From children born after assisted reproductive technology, those from multiple pregnancies may be at risk for later psychological development. The occurrence of educational problems in assisted reproductive families indicates a need of accessible professional care in this field.