[Congenital malformations in children born after assisted fertilization in Norway].

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence at birth of birth defects in children born after intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) and children born after traditional in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Altogether 553 children were born after ICSI treatment in Norway during the period 1996-1998 (351 singletons, 95 twins-pairs and 4 triplets) while 1731 were born after IVF treatment (1004 singletons, 344 sets of twins and 13 triplets). Birth defects were registered in 5.42% of children born after ICSI and in 5.14% of children born after IVF; 3,07% and 3.00% respectively were major birth defects. We conclude that intracytoplasmic sperm injection does not imply a significant increase in the prevalence at birth of birth defects compared to children conceived by traditional IVF.