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Heart defect is 36% higher in babies born after IVF treatment, study shows
Fertility treatments are a blessing for parents struggling to conceive a child naturally. Despite the effectiveness of modern technology, children born through assisted reproductive technology are more prone to major health issues.
The development and well-being of children depend on a lot of factors, including how fit the birth givers are. However, the latest study shows a higher risk of the “most common form of birth defects” among babies born via IVF regardless of their parents’ health.
Babies born after fertility treatment at higher risk of heart defects
The study led by Professor�Ulla-Britt Wennerholm�from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden identifies common risks among babies who are born after fertility treatment, aside from preterm birth and low birth weight.
The research compares data of liveborn children born in Denmark between 1994 and 2014, all children born in Finland between 1990 and 2014, those born in Norway between 1984 and 2015, and those born in Sweden from 1987 to 2015 – over 7.7 million in total.
They compared the data of children born after fertility treatment such as IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and embryo freezing with those conceived naturally.
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They found that children conceived after any form of fertility treatment were at higher risk of heart defects. “This showed that heart defects were around 36% more common in babies born after assisted reproduction, compared to babies conceived without such treatment,” the study published in the European Society of Cardiology states.
Early diagnosis is crucial
Parents who lean towards fertility treatment “differ” from the general population, meaning they may have underlying conditions that affect fertility and the baby’s health.
However, understanding the risk factors in children born through assisted reproductive technology helps in the early diagnosis and treatment of some serious and life-threatening conditions.
“In one of the largest studies to date, the researchers found that assisted reproductive technology was associated with the risk of major heart defects diagnosed prenatally or up to one year of age,” said the researcher.
As more and more people are getting pregnant through assisted reproductive technology, health experts expect to see “increases in cases of congenital heart defects worldwide.”
