Assisted Reproductive Technology Linked to Atopic Disease Risk in Offspring

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Children conceived via assisted reproductive technology (ART) have a higher risk for developing atopic disease, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Yao-Chi Hsieh, M.D., from Kuang Tien General Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, and colleagues assessed whether conception via ART is associated with an increased risk for atopic disease. The analysis included 69,785 children (13,957 in the ART group and 55,828 in the naturally conceived control group) born in Taiwan between 2004 and 2014.

The mean follow-up durations for the ART and control groups, respectively, were 7.99 and 8.41 years for asthma, 5.79 and 6.34 years for allergic rhinitis, and 7.34 and 7.62 years for atopic dermatitis.

The researchers found that after adjusting for potential confounders, the ART group showed a higher likelihood of developing asthma (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.13), allergic rhinitis (aHR, 1.15), or atopic dermatitis (aHR, 1.08) compared with the control group. In a subgroup analysis, children conceived with fresh embryos had a heightened risk for developing allergic rhinitis versus those conceived with frozen embryos (aHR, 1.12).

“These findings underscore the importance of long-term follow-up for offspring conceived via ART and further investigation into the underlying biological mechanisms by which ART may contribute to atopic disease development,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text