Effect of maternal and treatment-related factors on the prevalence of birth defects after PESA-ICSI and TESE-ICSI: a retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: We performed a retrospective cohort study with the aim to evaluate the effect of maternal and treatment-related factors on the prevalence of birth defects after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and testicular sperm extraction (TESE).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 643 newborns born after PESA-ICSI (n = 406) and TESE-ICSI (n = 237) in Radboud University Medical Center, after a gestational age of 12 weeks, 1 January 2002-1 January 2011 and 1 March-1 November 2014, respectively, were included in this study. Three sources of data were used for analysis: questionnaires, national obstetrics registration forms, and a lab-database of all ICSI treatments. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: The prevalence of major birth defects in newborns born after PESA-ICSI was 6.9% and after TESE-ICSI was 5.9% (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.46-1.75). No significant association was found between maternal or treatment-related factors and the prevalence of birth defects.

CONCLUSIONS: We found a similar overall prevalence of birth defects in newborns born after PESA-ICSI and TESE-ICSI. The maternal and treatment-related factors investigated did not show a significantly increased cumulative risk of birth defects.