One in six couples experience problems becoming pregnant. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) help couples with medical infertility fulfil their wish of becoming parents. 

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Medical infertility can be caused by e.g., low semen quality (male factor), disorders of the ovary, fallopian tubes, uterus, or cervix, with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), anovulation or endometriosis (female factor). The aetiology of both female and male factor infertility is insufficiently described, but both genetic, epigenetic, autoimmune, environmental and lifestyle factors are involved.

New treatment methods in assisted reproduction are continuously being developed and implemented in clinical practice, often without the preceding, systematic documentation of treatment safety and health consequences seen in other fields of medicine. Using data from nationwide registries in four Nordic countries, the CoNARTaS database has been established that offers unique opportunities to follow the reproductive paths and health outcomes of infertile couples and ART-conceived children longitudinally, through advanced analytical and multidisciplinary approaches.

This project will provide insight into 1) the short-term health outcomes for children and mothers in ART-conceived pregnancies, 2) the long-term health and social outcomes for ART-conceived individuals, and 3) the long-term health consequences of ART treatment and infertility for women and men.