Psychomotor Development of Children Born from Couples Undergoing Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection with Assisted Oocyte Activation

Background: Assisted oocyte activation (AOA) has been used to improve fertilization rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) by artificially increasing oocyte calcium concentration. However, concerns remain about its potential long-term impact on child development. Limited data exist on developmental outcomes in children born after ICSI with AOA. This study investigated psychomotor development at 12 months of age in children born after ICSI with or without AOA. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 55 children born after frozen embryo transfer: 29 in the AOA group and 26 in the non-AOA group. At 12 months, parents completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3), and the Developmental Milestones Red Flags checklist, validated for assessing psychomotor development. Parents also reported their child’s physical characteristics (e.g., height and weight) and medical history, including hospital admissions and chronic illnesses. Outcomes included proportions of children with abnormal ASQ-3 scores, Red Flag signs, and adverse medical/growth outcomes. Results: Baseline parental and perinatal characteristics were comparable between groups. At 12 months, no significant differences were observed in the proportion of children with abnormal ASQ-3 scores across five developmental domains (communication, gross motor, fine motor, personal-social, and problem-solving skills). The prevalence of Red Flag signs and rates of illnesses, hospitalizations, and chronic conditions were also similar. However, children in the non-AOA group were significantly taller than those in the AOA group (77.1 ± 2.2 cm vs. 74.6 ± 4.0 cm; [Formula: see text] = 0.02). Conclusions: Children in the AOA group showed similar psychomotor development at 12 months compared to those in the non-AOA group.