To ask if you had a child through ICSI...

[namechangingtable]

..are there any development/behavioural/ other issues they have?

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It is looking like my only chance to have a child with my partner will be use of ICSI due to his sperm parameters and other factors. Apparently there are higher risks of behavioural or developmental disorders but as children born from this method are only teenagers, there isn't enough data... I'm just wondering how widespread this is and why I hadn't heard more about this before as it's probably fairly common now with IVF?

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has gone down this path and is willing to share their experiences?

TIA

All three of my children were born via ICSI. They are all healthy, happy children with no developmental issues. I have never heard of this issue; it was never raised when I was going through IVF. We used ICSI because our first round of IVF completely failed - not a simple egg fertilised. I think ICSI is very common now. Best of luck!

We had twins through ICSI. Both embryos implanted, but DW needed a caesarean at week 36 as one of the babies (DS) wasn't getting great blood flow. Our DD was fine, and DS was healthy, just small (3lb 10) and skinny. He stated in NICU for 2 weeks and had some prem formula which must have included rocket fuel as he put on weight very quickly.
They're now normal, healthy, happy teenagers.
The way I saw it was that with ICSI, the embryologist actively chooses the best quality sperm and eggs to combine. The "traditional" route is a bit more pot luck. There doesn't appear to be any conclusive evidence of developmental delay with ICSI so please don't worry.
I wish you all the best.

To add to the above, the fact that DS was very small had nothing to do with ICSI. DW's midwife care was horrendous pre-birth. Clear signs of pre-eclampsia that were ignored by the midwife and GP. It wasn't until the usual midwife was ill, and one of the senior ones filled in that it was taken seriously and she was immediately admitted to hospital. This of course had nothing to do with the method of contraception.

My wonderful little boy was conceived through ICSI. He was born early with iugr but I think that was much more likely caused by my having COVID than by the ICSI itself. He's the most beautiful wonderful person I've ever met.

I thought I heard the risk if there is one was only a tiny bit higher.

Both my icsi babies not twins have asd/adhd traits.
But dp had very low count and even with icsi one only fertilised.
The dc1 had forceps and ventuose. Bit of jaundice.

Also dp side have some sen/behaviour issues

Is your dp overweight?

Two ICSI babies, no problems

ICSI toddler, and she’s just perfect, creative, caring, funny, smart, and so well behaved! :D

2 ICSI babies for me - 12 and 10 years old and as far as I'm aware, no issues at all

One pre-teen here. No problems at all.

He has dysgraphia (messy handwriting) and dyspraxia (a bit clumsy and no good at ball games).
Doubt it’s to do with his method of conception!
He’s otherwise bright, well adjusted and healthy.

One nearly-four year old here. He's possibly a smidge slower to do things than is typical, but not concerningly so. And he's fab!

I had two DC through ICSI, now adults.

They are definitely physically smaller and weaker than any of their many cousins. But both of them have graduated from top unis with 1sts in the last two years, both have loads of friends, wide interests, are in happy relationships and hold down full time jobs in their chosen professions.

One of them had a lot of health issues in childhood and adolescence some of which are ongoing, and some will be lifelong (including ADHD and ASD but very high functioning.) Hasn't held him back from living a very full and happy life. The other one is physically pretty healthy and always has been.

13 yr old - healthy, very clever, and also obviously ND - he would probably get a diagnosis of both ASD and ADHD if he would engage with assessment. (I have significant work experience/knowledge informing this view). However, I don't believe for a moment that the ND is related to ISCI. There is ND on his father's side of the family. I wish you lots of luck.

Healthy DD aged 15 - very easy uncomplicated pregnancy, easy birth without pain relief, very few illnesses throughout childhood. Birth weight was on the light side and has remained consistent on the curve between 2nd and 9th percentile. She is still very slim but has the same body shape as me at her age.
No signs of any behavioural or developmental disorders at all.

Having her was the most rewarding thing that happened in my life, I am very grateful for the technology that made it possible.

DD conceived via ICSI, she's nearly 2. So too early to say, but I have ASD and possibly ADHD anyway. My DD was small for gestational age, born via section at 38 weeks right on the cut off for IUGR. I think this is reasonably common, from what I've heard.

ICSI Teen here - he is a lion of a child, fit, strong, healthy, and no learning/developmental needs.
I've not heard about elevated risk to ICSI babies but then I was last in a fertility clinic in 2009 so perhaps evidence has presented over this time.
We feel so bloody lucky that our one shot worked - best of luck with your plans to have a family

2 dc via ICSI, dd (8) and ds (4). Both met all milestones and no issues at all. Dd is in top 5% of her class, tall and very sporty and dd seems to be following in her footsteps.

My DS 20 was ICSI. He also has ASD. He isn’t too badly affected though, he was in mainstream school, did well academically and is at university now. I also have DD 16 who was unexpected and naturally conceived :). She is NT.

I have never really considered if ICSI was a factor in DS and ASD. It‘s just part of who he is. I have friends have children through ICSi and they are NT. And I also have friends with children who have issues etc who weren’t ICSi.

Means ds following in footsteps

DS 13 - met all his milestones early and is very healthy and happy!

Thanks

The info re risks on ICSI was on HFEA website- https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection-icsi/

Copied and pasted:

It has been suggested that the use of ICSI may also be associated with long-term health issues for the children born. However, we cannot prove this either way until we have more conclusive evidence.
Risks that may be associated with ICSI include:

• certain genetic and developmental defects in a very small number of children born using this treatment; however, problems that have been linked with ICSI may have been caused by the underlying infertility, rather than the treatment itself
• the possibility that a boy conceived as a result of ICSI may inherit his father’s, or donor's, infertility (it is too early to know if this is the case, as the oldest boys born from ICSI are still in their teens). However, where there is a clearly defined genetic cause of male infertility, particularly if it is associated with the Y chromosome, it is highly likely that male offspring will inherit their father’s, or donor's, infertility.

He's just a healthy BMI- 24.9... has a tiny bit of a tummy but not really overweight.

Thanks for the replies so far x

Mine is only a toddler and too early to tell if ND, but I have dyscalculia and my partner’s paternal side of the family have very autistic traits, so I’m not sure icsi could be blamed if she was.

However she meets all her milestones and is bright according to the health visitors etc, so I think she’s fine. We weren’t told about any risk and it sounds like it’s very inconclusive so I wouldn’t worry about it.

I should add that both of us are NT