‘Babies conceived after fertility treatment risk heart defects’

By : Ijeoma Nwanosike

Date: 17 October 2024 4:51am WAT

(FILES) In this file photo taken in Paris on September 24, 2019 a personnel of the laboratory of reproductive biology CECOS, the medically assisted procreation (PMA) unit of Tenon Hospital (Hopital Tenon AP - HP) is seen at work. - The French National Assembly on September 26, 2019 voted in favor of a bill on bio-ethic giving all women access to fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and artificial insemination. So far, only heterosexual couples have the right to use medically assisted procreation methods. Lesbians and single women who want to have children often travel abroad to fertility clinics for treatment, a situation they say is discriminatory. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP)

A recent study published in the European Heart Journal has indicated a 36 per cent higher risk of being born with a major heart defect in babies who were conceived after Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), and embryo freezing.

The study also noted that the increase in risk is particularly associated with multiple births, which are more common in assisted reproduction. The researchers said hereditary heart defects are the most common form of birth defects with some of these associated with life-threatening complications,

Using over 7.7 million live-born babies from 1984 to 2015 from four European countries, the researchers compared data on babies born following assisted reproduction, including IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and embryo freezing, with data on babies conceived naturally.

The researchers took into account factors that can increase the risk of congenital heart defects, such as child’s year of birth, country of birth, mother’s age at delivery, if the mother smoked during pregnancy.