Somigliana, Edgardo;
Parazzini, Fabio;
Goisis, Alice;
Esposito, Giovanna;
Li Piani, Letizia;
Filippi, Francesca;
Vigano', Paola;
(2023)
ART and the forgotten siblings: a call for research.
Human Reproduction
, 38
(7)
pp. 1235-1238.
10.1093/humrep/dead082.
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Abstract
A broader definition of infertility is the incapacity to have the intended number of children. However, most literature on ART exclusively focuses on live birth as an outcome, rather than on the capacity to fully realize the reproductive wishes of the couples. This issue has probably received scant attention because the total fertility rate is below replacement levels in affluent countries, and one may simplistically assume that only a minority of couples may be interested in more than one child. This assumption, however, is unproven and presumably erroneous. Unfortunately, evidence on the rate of return in couples who conceived their first child with ART is scant and information on the intended number of children in infertile couples is lacking. In general, we plea for more research on this subject. The documentation of an intended number of children above two and a high return rate in infertile couples may lead to changes in clinical practice, such as the storage of oocytes or embryos prior to initiating embryo transfers. This could improve the chance of conceiving the second child when the couple comes back some years later. In addition, the identification of the determinants for non-return as well as those explaining the gap between the intended and the realized number of children may reveal specific barriers and possibly how to tackle them. However, at present, available evidence is insufficient to advocate any intervention. Thorough research is warranted.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | ART and the forgotten siblings: a call for research |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/humrep/dead082 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead082 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | infertility, assisted reproductive technologies, ART intended children, family size, oocyte, embryo, aging |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10169526 |
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