A large cohort study has shown that children conceived by ART are smaller at the time of delivery, experience a rapid catch-up growth, but are largely similar in height and weight to naturally conceived children at school age.

The availability of genealogy services today and the non-guarantee of donor anonymity has raised new questions for counsellors in donor conception. A Campus meeting in January explored the priorities, especially for the children born.

At a time when European pregnancy rates have plateau’d a well attended Campus meeting in January reviewed new (and old) concepts in the planning and strategies of treatments to improve success rates. The debates continue, some after many years.

A well attended online Campus meeting in December heard that outcome from elective oocyte cryopreservation depends on the number of MII oocytes retrieved, and that varies with age. Older age also brings more neonatal risks for mother and baby.

Review of over-the-counter analgesics taken in pregnancy finds their prevalent use ‘high’ and increasing, with knowledge gaps apparent relating to fetal exposure and offspring health.

An experimental study which measured markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the sperm cells of men infected with COVID-19 found significantly higher levels than in healthy controls. Experts urge caution in interpreting results.

A recent statement from ESHRE’s COVID-19 working group, also evident in the vaccines’ product information, notes limited data on vaccination in pregnancy and none before conception with assisted reproduction. Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination in and before pregnancy so far rests on an individual assessment of risks and benefits.

While assays for sperm DNA remain controversial in their association with pregnancy, a new opinion paper in Human Reproduction makes the case for screening before ART based not on improving success rates but on minimising adverse health outcomes in the children conceived.

A large single-centre study has found a two-fold higher risk of pregnancy-related hypertension following blastocyst biopsy and frozen transfer than in non-biopsied controls. Dublin embryologist Joyce Leyden, an ESHRE young ambassador, reports.

Large retrospective study of more than 4000 euploid embryo transfers finds very high implantation rates after each of three successive FETs. Recurrent implantation failure likely to be embryonic and not endometrial in its origin, propose investigators.