Iron indicators in the umbilical blood of premature children born using IVF technology

  The paper presents the results of a study of iron metabolism in full-term infants conceived naturally and using in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology. The data obtained allowed us to conclude that there were no statistically significant differences in the studied indicators in the groups and did not reveal the effect of IVF technology on the iron metabolism of full-term newborns.

   The purpose of the study. To study and compare the data of iron metabolism - hemoglobin, serum iron, serum transferrin receptor (sTfR), ferritin, ferritin index (sTfR/logFer), transferrin saturation, zinc protoporphyrin/ heme ratio in full-term infants conceived using IVF technology and children born by natural conception.

   Materials and methods. Clinical, biochemical and statistical methods were used in the work. The indicators of hemogram and ferrokinetics were determined in 20 full-term children conceived by observation, and in 18 children born using the technology of in vitro fertilization.

   Research results. In full-term children born as a result of IVF procedure, the level of Hb it was 17,03 ± 0,82 g/dl. The level of serum iron was comparable in the study groups (in full–term children conceived naturally, it is 26,09 ± 0,68 μmol/l, in children conceived by IVF – 25,24 ± 0,5 μmol/l). Studies of the ferritin level in full–term children conceived in the traditional way showed values of 175,73 ± 11,63 μg/l, in children after IVF procedure – 177,04 ± 11,21 μg/l. When calculating the ferritin index (sTfR / log10 Ferritin), data were obtained - in full-term children, the ferritin index is 3,72 ± 0,28 and 4,03 ± 0,36 mg/l depending on the method of conception, the differences are not statistically significant. In full-term children conceived naturally, the TS level was determined to be 61,18 ± 4,11 %, and in full-term children born as a result of traditional conception – 61,77 ± 5,3 %.

   Conclusion. The study allowed us to conclude that there is no statistically significant effect of the IVF method on iron metabolism and ferrokinetic factors in full-term newborns conceived by this method.

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