Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology
Assisted reproduction technology (ART) has advanced significantly over the past four decades, leading to improved pregnancy outcomes and a reduction in complications, particularly those associated with multiple pregnancies. These improvements largely stem from advances in understanding embryonic phy...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1194 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849733029322293248 |
|---|---|
| author | Romualdo Sciorio Luca Tramontano Giuseppe Gullo Steven Fleming |
| author_facet | Romualdo Sciorio Luca Tramontano Giuseppe Gullo Steven Fleming |
| author_sort | Romualdo Sciorio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Assisted reproduction technology (ART) has advanced significantly over the past four decades, leading to improved pregnancy outcomes and a reduction in complications, particularly those associated with multiple pregnancies. These improvements largely stem from advances in understanding embryonic physiology, which has enabled better culture conditions. As a result, embryologists can now efficiently culture embryos to the blastocyst stage and successfully cryopreserve them for future use. However, while incubators aim to replicate the maternal environment of the oviduct and uterus, embryos in vitro are cultured in static conditions, unlike the dynamic, constantly changing environment they experience in vivo. Key factors such as pH, temperature, osmolality, and gas concentrations are crucial for establishing optimal embryo development and implantation potential. Moreover, the vitrification procedure for gametes or embryos can introduce oxidative stress, as well as osmotic shock and cryoprotectant toxicity, which may affect embryo viability and increase the risk of birth defects. Since the first successful ART birth in 1978, over 10 million babies have been conceived through these techniques. Although most of these children are healthy, concerns exist about potential birth defects or changes linked to the handling of gametes and embryos. The preimplantation period is marked by significant epigenetic reprogramming, which can be influenced by ART procedures such as ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, and cryopreservation. However, the long-term health implications for offspring remain uncertain. Epigenetic reprogramming during early embryogenesis is essential for proper embryo development and can be changed by ART-related conditions. These concerns have raised questions about the possible connection between ART and a higher risk of birth defects or other changes in children born through these methods. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines to map evidence on ART-related risks, including epigenetic and birth defect outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-12602ff5cd0f405fb7a5874f1197eb45 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj-art-12602ff5cd0f405fb7a5874f1197eb452025-08-20T03:08:09ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-06-01617119410.3390/medicina61071194Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction TechnologyRomualdo Sciorio0Luca Tramontano1Giuseppe Gullo2Steven Fleming3Fertility Medicine and Gynaecological Endocrinology Unit, Department Woman Mother Child, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, SwitzerlandDépartement de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Réseau Hospitalier Neuchâtelois, 2000 Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandAzienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti (AOOR) Villa Sofia Cervello, IVF Public Center, Department of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, ItalyDiscipline of Anatomy & Histology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, AustraliaAssisted reproduction technology (ART) has advanced significantly over the past four decades, leading to improved pregnancy outcomes and a reduction in complications, particularly those associated with multiple pregnancies. These improvements largely stem from advances in understanding embryonic physiology, which has enabled better culture conditions. As a result, embryologists can now efficiently culture embryos to the blastocyst stage and successfully cryopreserve them for future use. However, while incubators aim to replicate the maternal environment of the oviduct and uterus, embryos in vitro are cultured in static conditions, unlike the dynamic, constantly changing environment they experience in vivo. Key factors such as pH, temperature, osmolality, and gas concentrations are crucial for establishing optimal embryo development and implantation potential. Moreover, the vitrification procedure for gametes or embryos can introduce oxidative stress, as well as osmotic shock and cryoprotectant toxicity, which may affect embryo viability and increase the risk of birth defects. Since the first successful ART birth in 1978, over 10 million babies have been conceived through these techniques. Although most of these children are healthy, concerns exist about potential birth defects or changes linked to the handling of gametes and embryos. The preimplantation period is marked by significant epigenetic reprogramming, which can be influenced by ART procedures such as ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, and cryopreservation. However, the long-term health implications for offspring remain uncertain. Epigenetic reprogramming during early embryogenesis is essential for proper embryo development and can be changed by ART-related conditions. These concerns have raised questions about the possible connection between ART and a higher risk of birth defects or other changes in children born through these methods. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines to map evidence on ART-related risks, including epigenetic and birth defect outcomes.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1194culture mediapH and osmolalitytemperatureoxygen tensioncryopreservation and vitrificationbirth defects |
| spellingShingle | Romualdo Sciorio Luca Tramontano Giuseppe Gullo Steven Fleming Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology Medicina culture media pH and osmolality temperature oxygen tension cryopreservation and vitrification birth defects |
| title | Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology |
| title_full | Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology |
| title_fullStr | Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology |
| title_short | Association Between Human Embryo Culture Conditions, Cryopreservation, and the Potential Risk of Birth Defects in Children Conceived Through Assisted Reproduction Technology |
| title_sort | association between human embryo culture conditions cryopreservation and the potential risk of birth defects in children conceived through assisted reproduction technology |
| topic | culture media pH and osmolality temperature oxygen tension cryopreservation and vitrification birth defects |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1194 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT romualdosciorio associationbetweenhumanembryocultureconditionscryopreservationandthepotentialriskofbirthdefectsinchildrenconceivedthroughassistedreproductiontechnology AT lucatramontano associationbetweenhumanembryocultureconditionscryopreservationandthepotentialriskofbirthdefectsinchildrenconceivedthroughassistedreproductiontechnology AT giuseppegullo associationbetweenhumanembryocultureconditionscryopreservationandthepotentialriskofbirthdefectsinchildrenconceivedthroughassistedreproductiontechnology AT stevenfleming associationbetweenhumanembryocultureconditionscryopreservationandthepotentialriskofbirthdefectsinchildrenconceivedthroughassistedreproductiontechnology |