Risk of having birth defects in IVF

Research shows that there is a little more than 4 per cent of babies that were born using the assisted reproductive technology like in vitro fertilization were seen to suffer from major birth defects. These birth defects often included urogenital tract malformations and heart issues. But it is to be kept in mind that these numbers are much lesser than the percentage of birth defects in the general population.

Reasons why it is thought that IVF is associated with increased risk of birth defects.

• Infertility or infertility treatment may be the cause of increased birth defects. It is still to be studied whether the abnormalities in children born through IVF are a result of the cause of infertility or the treatment of infertility themselves.
• Increased risk of multiples with IVF translates to increased risk of birth defects. The malformations can also be attributed to the increased risk of multiples. Even in normal pregnancies, the risk of birth defects in multiples is more than the risk in single births. Since the chances of multiples are more with IVF, the risk of birth defects may also be reflected in the numbers
• Every normal pregnancy has a risk of bearing a child with birth defects. It is the same thing as babies born with assisted reproductive technology. If you are worried or have any doubts, talk to our fertility specialists about them.