Problems with conceiving can result in an increased risk of neurodevelopmental issues in the child once they have been born, a new study has suggested.
Published in the Fetal & Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease in Childhood, the research by experts at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands looked at 209 two-year-olds born to parents who took a long time to conceive. Many of these parents had used fertility treatment.
Around eight per cent of toddlers displayed signs of mild neurological issues - a trend that was more apparent among children whose parents took an average of more than four years to achieve pregnancy.
The researchers calculated that struggling with conception can be linked to a 30 per cent higher risk of mild brain problems in the child and concluded that it is the length of time to pregnancy rather than fertility treatment that results in such issues.
Couples can only be advised on the subject after further research has been conducted, they added.