IVF is associated with an increased health risk for the offspring in the form of malformations, functional disorders, and a poorer peripartum outcome. This is possibly caused by parental factors, but also by factors related to the IVF technology used.
"IVF-conceived children are at about one-third greater risk of birth defects compared to their naturally-conceived counterparts, as well as at higher risk of childhood cancer, although in absolute terms these numbers are small," Luke told MedPage Today.
The vast majority of pregnancies conceived using IVF are just as healthy as those from natural conception. Furthermore, the children coming from IVF pregnancies are just as smart and physically fit as their naturally-conceived counterparts.
Children born after fresh embryo transfer via ART displayed a higher risk of immune dysfunction in childhood manifested as elevated plasma IFN-γ and IL-4 levels and decreased ratio of IFN-γ to IL-4.
IVF increases chance of birth complications
Babies born through IVF have a slightly higher chance of birth defects (about 1-2%).
The probability of the fertile population having a child with a genetic defect is approximately 3%–5%. The birth defect rate increases by approximately 1 percent for those who undergo IVF. However, studies show that couples struggling with infertility have that same disparity even if they choose not to opt for IVF.
They found that compared to those conceived naturally, IVF babies had a 45% increased risk of dying within their first year of life. The risk depends on the type of ART and on the current age of the child (within the first year of life). It was highest in the first few weeks and then showed a reduction.
For specific procedures, IVF with ICSI for paternal infertility was associated with a small increase in the RR for autistic disorder and mental retardation compared with IVF without ICSI. The prevalence of these disorders was low, and the increase in absolute risk associated with IVF was small.
Most of the children born from IVF appear healthy. We have noticed a small increase in health problems, such as low birth weight, premature birth and congenital birth defects. Some of these long-term health effects may be encoded by epigenetics.
Why IVF Causes Premature Birth. Doctors don't know exactly why IVF babies are born earlier than other babies. More research is being done, but so far the studies suggest that a combination of the IVF procedure itself and factors in the mom may cause the increased risk of delivering early.
ADHD occurred among 7.0% of offspring in the unassisted conception group, 7.5% in the infertility without fertility treatment group, 6.8% in the OI/IUI group and 6.3% in the IVF/ICSI group.
The Society for Reproductive Technology (SART) states that for women under 35, the percentage of live births via IVF is 55.6%. Live births per first embryo transfer is 41.4%. With a later embryo transfer, the live births percentage is around 47%.
The possibility of the IVF resembling its mother is thin as a donor egg doesn't share any of its genes with its intended mother. Nonetheless, if the sperm used is that of her partner, the baby may look like its father. This is simply because both share the same genetics.
Conceiving with IVF does carry an increased risk of pregnancy complications. In particular, there is an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, hypertension, maternal gestational diabetes, and placental complications⁷.
Fast forward a few decades, and IVF is not only a viable solution, but most people have heard of it. Even more spectacular is that IVF generally has higher success rates than even natural conception. Out of 100 couples trying to conceive naturally, 20 percent will actually get pregnant per month.
If you have IVF, you have a slightly higher risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants in a fallopian tube rather than in the womb. This can cause pain in the tummy, followed by vaginal bleeding or dark vaginal discharge.
“Parents considering IVF and health care professionals can be reassured that the school age developmental and educational outcomes of IVF-conceived children are equivalent to their peers,” says Kennedy, lead author and obstetrician and gynecologist at Mercy Hospital for Women at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Can embryo selection to select against autism be done? The Western Australian reported, “There are no genetic tests for autism, so instead of looking for a gene mutation, the screening identifies the embryo's sex because boys are at least four times more likely to develop autism than girls.”
Studies show that women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles that lead to a live birth are: 31% in women younger than 35 years of age.
While babies are born as a result of fertilization in the womb of the mother as a result of sexual intercourse, IVF children are conceived differently. In IVF, the sperms and eggs are fertilized in laboratories under controlled conditions and monitoring by professional doctors.
“For most couples – and certainly those where the woman is younger than 40 and those of any age using donor eggs – two-thirds will achieve a live birth after five or six treatment cycles. This will take, on average, two years and is similar to rates that couples conceiving naturally take in one year.”
In theory, the poor quality embryo has potential for a successful pregnancy. On the other hand, the poor quality embryo may lead to higher spontaneous abortions and overall decreased clinical pregnancies and live birth rates.
It is very common for women and people who became pregnant through IVF to be advised to have an induction of labour, usually around 38-40 weeks, if spontaneous labour hasn't started already.