Assisted reproduction not associated with reduced academic performance in adolescence

Nationwide analysis of more than 8,000 ART children finds no difference in educational test scores

2015-06-15

(Press-News.org) Lisbon, 15 June 2015: The academic performance of children conceived by assisted reproduction techniques (ART) is no better or worse than that of spontaneously conceived children when assessed at the ninth grade of their school education.(1) Similarly, ART singletons and ART twins also had comparable test scores, suggesting, say the investigators, that "the higher obstetric risk" identified in ART pregnancies - and particularly in twins - "is not associated with poorer academic performance in adolescence".(2)

"These findings are very important for infertile patients," they add.

Details of the study are reported today at the Annual Meeting of ESHRE by Anne Lærke Spangmose Pedersen, a medical student in the fertility clinic of Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark. She noted that so far only few studies have explored IQ in ART children, and no previous studies have included ninth grade test scores in a complete national cohort of 15-16-year-old adolescents all conceived by ART.

This, however, was a substantial national study involving every child conceived by ART and born in Denmark between 1995 and 2000, a total of 8251 children born as 4991 singletons and 3260 twins. These children were then compared to two control populations of children - the first comprising all twins born in Denmark during the same period (a total of 10,833) and a randomly selected group of spontaneously conceived singletons (total 10.052).

The study effectively compared the academic performance of all four groups according to results of a general test of academic performance which all ninth grade students in Denmark (at age 15-16 years) complete. The test grades academic performance from -3 to +12, with average scores of 7. The system of national records and registries in Denmark with demographic and epidemiological data make such studies possible.

Initial results did show some discrepancies between the groups, but following statistical adjustments maternal age, birth weight, gestational age and social status, the differences disappeared. For example, ART singletons achieved a higher mean test score than spontaneously conceived singletons (7.71 and 6.75 respectively, p END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Poor sleep associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke

2015-06-15

EuroHeartCare is the official annual meeting of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The 2015 meeting is held 14 to 15 June in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in collaboration with the Croatian Association of Cardiology Nurses. Professor Gafarov said: "Mortality from cardiovascular diseases accounts for nearly 50% of the total mortality among the population. Nearly 80% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are due to myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke. It means that today we are talking about ...

Visualizing calcified coronary arteries may be wake-up call to change lifestyle

2015-06-15

"It is my coronary artery and my coronary artery calcification and I am facing a real risk and challenge," said one patient. EuroHeartCare is the official annual meeting of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The 2015 meeting is held 14 to 15 June in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in collaboration with the Croatian Association of Cardiology Nurses. Ms Mols said: "Patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease and hyperlipidaemia (high blood lipids) urgently need to improve their lifestyles and ...

American Thoracic Society issues recommendations on healthy sleep

2015-06-15

The American Thoracic Society has released a policy statement with recommendations for clinicians and the general public on achieving good quality sleep and getting an adequate quantity of sleep. "Sleep plays a vital role in human health, yet there is a lack of sufficient guidance on promoting good sleep health," said Sutapa Mukherjee, MBBS, PhD, chair of the committee that produced the statement. "In this statement, with an eye towards improving public health, we address the importance of good quality sleep with a focus on sleep health in adults and children; the effects ...

New calculations to improve CO2 monitoring from space

2015-06-15

How light of different colours is absorbed by carbon dioxide (CO2) can now be accurately predicted using new calculations developed by a UCL-led team of scientists. This will help climate scientists studying Earth's greenhouse gas emissions to better interpret data collected from satellites and ground stations measuring CO2. By improving the understanding of how much radiation CO2 absorbs, uncertainties in modelling climate change will be reduced and more accurate predictions can be made about how much Earth is likely to warm over the next few decades. Previous methods ...

Blood antibodies may predict HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer survival

2015-06-15

Background: According to Sturgis, the incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma has increased dramatically in recent years. Although patients with HPV-positive disease have a better prognosis than those with HPV-negative disease, researchers are still seeking a better understanding of what group of patients is more likely to respond to treatment. How the Study Was Conducted: Sturgis and colleagues used blood samples from 209 patients with previously untreated oropharyngeal carcinoma, including 96 who had confirmed HPV-positive disease, and screened the samples ...

ALK1 protein may play a role in breast cancer metastasis

2015-06-15

Background: Pietras said that although prognosis for breast cancer is relatively good when detected in its early stages, metastatic disease is the cause of 90 percent of all cancer-related deaths. Therefore, learning more about the metastatic process and finding new cures to inhibit disease spread is at the center of clinical attention. He explained that in order for a tumor to spread, a cancer cell must detach and traverse the vascular wall to escape into the blood stream, exit the vasculature to enter the metastatic site, and colonize the new tissue. The fact that ...

Endometriosis associated with a greater risk of complications in pregnancy

2015-06-15

Lisbon, 15 June 2015: Women with endometriosis are at an increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, according to results of a huge nationwide study presented today. Moreover, women with a history of endometriosis whose pregnancies progressed beyond 24 weeks were found to be at a higher than average risk of complications, including haemorrhage (ante- and postpartum) and preterm birth. "These results indicate that endometriosis predisposes women to an increased risk of early pregnancy loss and later pregnancy complications," said the study's first author Dr Lucky ...

Lack of evidence on how to care for hip fracture patients with dementia

2015-06-15

Medical guidance on how to care for elderly people with dementia following a hip fracture is 'sadly lacking' according to researchers at the University of East Anglia. Almost half of all people who suffer hip fractures also have dementia. But a Cochrane Review published today reveals there is no conclusive evidence on how to care for this particularly vulnerable group. The review, which was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), highlights an urgent need for better research into what strategies improve post-operative care - both within hospital ...

Power of the media's impact on medicine use revealed

2015-06-14

More than 60,000 Australians are estimated to have reduced or discontinued their use of prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin medications following the airing of a two-part series critical of statins by ABC TV's science program, Catalyst, a University of Sydney study reveals in the latest Medical Journal of Australia. The analysis of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medication records of 191,000 people revealed that there was an immediate impact after Catalyst was aired in October 2013, with 14,000 fewer people dispensed statins per week than expected. "In the eight ...

One in 5 young VTE patients require psychotropic drugs within 5 years

2015-06-14

EuroHeartCare is the official annual meeting of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The 2015 meeting is held 14 to 15 June in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in collaboration with the Croatian Association of Cardiology Nurses. Ms Arbjerg Højen said: "Young VTE patients are scared of having another VTE and of dying. We treat these patients in our Thrombosis Research Unit and have seen how anxious and mentally unwell they can be, even a long time after the VTE occurs. They are troubled and have a hard ...

Assisted reproduction not associated with reduced academic performance in adolescence

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: