Australian research has found an increased risk of intellectual disability with some forms of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

The WA study published in Pediatrics found that one in 48 children conceived using ART were diagnosed with an intellectual disability, compared with only one in 59 children conceived naturally.

And the risk was even greater for certain subgroups within the ART cohort.

“The risk was more than doubled for those born very preterm, for severe [intellectual disability] and after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments,” said the researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute.