Frequency of Births Due to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Prader-Willi Syndrome

PURPOSE: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is an imprinting disorder characterized by typical facial, physical and cognitive/behavioral features, resulting from lack of paternally-expressed genes on chromosome 15q11.2-q13. Studies have suggested an increased risk of other imprinting disorders in children conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART). This study was designed to determine the association between ART and PWS. METHODS: Data on individuals with PWS were collected from three distinct sources and the proportion of ART-births analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of ART-births in the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association [PWSA (USA)], Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN), and University of California, Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC) populations was 1.0% (18/1,736), 1.0% (1/98), and 2.0% (1/50), respectively (overall 1.1%; population frequency for the U.S was 1.0%). Interestingly, 2.4% (45/1,898) of participants were co-twins (eleven born after ART procedures); U.S. twin frequency is 1.6% (p=0.007). The proportion of individuals with maternal disomy 15/imprinting defects born after ART was higher than in the total sample, 55.6% (10/18) and 34.5% (431/1,250), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study found no association between ART and PWS. There was an increased frequency of twinning. The number of individuals with maternal disomy 15/imprinting defect was nearly double in the ART group compared to the total PWS participants.