IVF Babies More Likely To Have Health Problems and Genetic Disorders

March 21, 2009 by tiffanyb
Filed under: Baby Health, News

Test tube babies are 30% more likely to have health problems says the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which is the government’s watchdog on fertility issues, has come out with a study showing that babies who are conceived with IVF treatments have a one in six change of having health problems or some kind of genetic disorder. More than 10,000 babies a year are conceived through IVF in a year in Britain.

The scientist from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention studied more than 14,000 births to gather information on babies born via IVF treatments. The studies showed that babies who were conceived via IVF, had more of a chance of suffering from a whole range of medical conditions from heart valve defects to a cleft palate. They also have a greater risk of suffering from rare genetic disorders.

There could be a couple of reason why this is. One could be the fertility drugs that are taken to help the woman become pregnant. They may lead to some of these health problems in the babies. Another reason could be that since most woman who choose to do IVF are slightly older, the woman’s eggs are not as healthy as they should be, which results in a baby who may not be healthy.

HFEA is looking to just put out this information to any couple who may be considering IVF so they know the risk. They also want to let people know that, the majority of babies that are born via IVF are healthy. IVF specialist, Robert Kennedy made this statement about the new HFEA guidelines and information, “What we need to remember is that the overall risks of an abnormality occurring is increased with IVF but it is still a small risk. Nevertheless, patients still need to be aware.”