IVF Increases Risk of Major Congenital Malformations

Women who conceive via assisted reproductive technology (ART), of which in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common technique, are more likely to have children with a major birth defect.

Researchers at Children's Hospital (Los Angeles, CA, USA) analyzed information from the California (USA) Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Maternal/Infant dataset for 2006 to 2007, and performed separate analyses for babies born after ART, including IVF, gamete intrafallopian transfer, and other fertility-related services, including ovulation induction, fertility-enhancing drugs, artificial insemination, or intrauterine insemination. The study included 4,795 babies born following ART and 46,025 matched controls.

The results showed that the overall rate of major congenital malformations was significantly higher in the ART group (9% versus 6.6%). After adjustment for several potential confounders, including maternal age, babies conceived using ART were more likely to have a major birth defect compared with those born to mothers who conceived naturally. For comparison purposes, the researchers also propensity matched 1,749 babies born after non-ART fertility-related services with 17,748 naturally conceived infants, finding no differences in rates of various major birth defects. The study was presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting held during October 2012 in New Orleans (LA, USA).

“Our results imply that there may be factors inherent in assisted reproductive technology that increase the likelihood of birth defects,” said lead author and study presenter Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD. “Maternal age […] is strongly correlated with the risk of birth defects; but there are conceivably many factors yet to be defined that we're not able to quantify to measure the degree of infertility in an individual.”

ART is a general term referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means, used in primarily in infertility treatments; but some forms of ART are also used in fertile couples for genetic reasons. ART is also used in couples who are discordant for certain communicable diseases such as AIDS, to reduce the risk of infection when a pregnancy is desired. Other examples of ART include IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation, and intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Related Links:
Children's Hospital