IVF twins have poorer pre- and post-natal health

Twins conceived through an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are far more likely to be hospitalized in their first three years of life, and stay in hospital on average four days longer than naturally conceived twins, study reveals.

Furthermore, such twins report frequent admissions to the neo-natal intensive care ward and are twice more likely to die just before or just after birth, researchers at the Universities of Western Australia and Oxford assert.

Details of the study
Hospital admissions for all twins (both conceived naturally and through ART) born in Western Australia between 1994 and 2000 were assessed for the purpose.

While 4,097 twins born in that period were through natural conception, only 1,240 were picked, these being non-identical twins of different sexes.

“ART twins start from separate eggs whereas some naturally conceived same-sex twins start from only one egg that divides,” researchers explained.

These 1,240 short-listed twins were then compared with 700 twins that were born through fertility treatment.

Results of the study
Twins conceived through assisted treatment stood a greater risk of poor prenatal outcome, researchers observed.

Besides the already known risks of IVF treatment like preterm birth, low birth weight and death, ART twins had a 66 percent higher risk of being admitted to neonatal intensive care and were far more likely to register hospital visits during the first three years of their life.

Moreover, ART twins registered a longer stay in hospital after birth, 12 days as against eight for non-identical twins of different sexes, with almost double the risk of early death.

Fertility treatments are physically uncomfortable and financially exhaustive. More so, such treatments are known to be packed with risks, the biggest being the risk of multiple pregnancies, experts revealed.

“Couples undergoing fertility treatment should be made aware of this and should consider the benefits of opting for single embryo transfer,” researcher Michèle Hansen of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Western Australia said.

The findings of the study feature in the online issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

Risks of multiple births
Mothers bearing twins are at an increased risk of heavy bleeding, miscarriage, diabetes and pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

Multiple birth babies, too, stand a greater risk of poor prenatal outcome, preterm birth, low birth weight and death. They are more likely to suffer respiratory ailments, defects such as cerebral palsy, impaired vision and congenital heart disease, experts warn.