Perinatal outcome and follow-up of 82 children aged 1-9 years old conceived from cryopreserved embryos.

Embryo cryopreservation is routinely used in in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer programmes. Yet very few studies have reported the follow-up of children conceived with frozen/thawed embryos. This study was designed to follow up the total cohort of children conceived with cryopreserved embryos in A. Béclère Hospital in Clamart, France between 1986 and 1994. We were able to study 89 children, aged 1-9 years old, out of the 93 conceived during this period (lost to follow-up: 4.3%). The prematurity rate was 14.7% for the singleton and 85.7% for the twins. Half of these premature deliveries occurred during the 36th week of amenorrhea. In all, 8% of the singleton and 28.6% of the twins were small for gestational age. At the time of the study, only three children aged 1 and 2 years old were below the 10th percentile. The total malformation rate was 3.4% when two abortions performed during the study period were added to the one (short ureter) found in our study group. The medical and surgical illness as well as principal acquisitions for children <5 years old and scholastic performance for older children did not show pathological features.