International Conference
The well-being of children born through assisted reproductive

Press release Published on 28 May 2019

PRESS INVITATION June 4, 2019 - Musée des arts et métiers

The number of children born through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has grown rapidly in recent decades. These studies have also been strongly criticized because of methodological limitations, and mainly date from the 1990s or the early 2000s. In view of the recent intense debates in France on proposed changes to bioethics legislation, our knowledge about ART and their impacts on child well-being should be updated.

The conference therefore aims to present a panorama of recent longitudinal studies following children born through ART. A review of these studies seems essential today in France, where access and opportunities to such technologies are changing but the public debate is not being based on the scientific literature. The studies that will be presented have conducted detailed analyses to understand the links between ART and future child outcomes, and focus on the children as the main unit of analysis, and not the parents and their prenatal trajectory as previously done.

The purpose of this day is to give visibility to these studies and their results and to encourage further research on the subject. It will also allow a space for dialogue on this subject between different experts and actors from civil society, the medical community and governmental and legal institutions.

The morning will be devoted to the presentation of scientific studies (and perspectives from researchers in epidemiology, demography and psychology), ), based on data from several Scandinavian countries, France, and the United Kingdom; the afternoon will be devoted to two discussion panels where the methods, approaches and results presented in the morning will be discussed.