In United States, compared to the usual birth defect occurrence of 1 in 700 births, the defect rates surge to almost double, approximately 1 in 425, among infants conceived through technological interventions, researchers aver. The findings typically implicate single births only.
Despite the heightening effect, the individual risk of birth defects is still very small, researchers comfort. "But it is very important for couples who are considering artificial reproductive technology to have full disclosure," Dr. Jennita Reefhuis, study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention professed.
The findings published in the current issue of the journal ‘Human Reproduction’ is based on a comprehensive data analysis of over 14,000 births. Researchers compared 281 births resulting from assisted reproductive technologies to 14,095 natural births.
Practical adjustments of factors directly affecting the birth-defect rates like woman's age, race, body mass index
define and history of miscarriages were taken into account
While assisted conception techniques doubled the risk of heart defect and more than doubled the risk of cleft lip and palate, the risk of gastrointestinal defects typically affecting the esophagus or rectumdefine almost quadrupled.
Although the study links fertility procedures to birth defects, it does not explain the genesis of the association. "We don't know if it's the treatment or the underlying condition of infertility," said Suzan Carmichael, an epidemiologist with the March of Dimes California Research Division.
IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) are the two most sought assisted procedures in infertility treatment. While in IVF, the woman’s eggs and man’s sperms are merged in a fluid medium, the ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into an egg. In both cases, the fertilized embryo is implanted in the woman’s womb.
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