Assisted Reproduction Puts Babies at Risk

Babies resulting from assisted conception have a much higher risk of death during delivery or problems at birth than babies conceived naturally, according to a review of studies published in the January 23, 2004, online issue of the British Medical Journal.

In births involving a single baby, infants fared worse than babies conceived naturally in terms of lower birth weight and high rates of Cesarian section and intensive care admissions. These infants had double the risk of premature birth, and death rates were significantly higher than for babies conceived naturally. Twins conceived with medical assistance also had increased risks but they were far less marked than those found between groups of single babies. Conversely, mortality rates were significantly lower for twins conceived with medical assistance.

Women undergoing assisted reproduction should be made aware of the risks, say the authors, and more work should be done to reduce these risks. Twenty-five years after the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby, they conclude, serious challenges persist for reproductive medicine. The study was led by Frans M. Helmerhorst, department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine, Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands).




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