Are There Any Long-Term Health Risks for IVF Babies? Myths vs. Facts Explained

There’s a lot of discourse online about IVF babies. It’s quite natural for intended parents to ask us, ‘Is IVF safe? Are there any long-term risks for IVF babies? At Corion Fertility Clinic, we understand your concerns. In this blog, we’re clearing your doubts and shedding light on the possible health risks that IVF babies face.

What is IVF?

IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is an assisted reproductive technique in which an egg is fertilized with a sperm outside the body, in a laboratory. The fertilized embryo is then transferred to the uterus.

Due to its high success rates, IVF has become the popular choice of treatment for a wide range of fertility issues. The IVF procedure brings hope to couples dealing with infertility issues.

Health Risks Associated With IVF

Patients often undergo IVF treatment due to infertility challenges, which themselves may affect pregnancy outcomes. This makes it difficult to separate the impact of IVF treatment from pre-existing health conditions when assessing the long-term health of IVF babies.

Thus, it is difficult to study the difference between IVF babies and naturally conceived babies, as the parental factors are totally different.

Premature Delivery

Premature delivery is perhaps the most common risk of IVF treatments, as the baby’s organs could be underdeveloped. This risk is increased when the patient has a multiple pregnancy. Single embryo transfer reduces the risk of multiple pregnancy and premature birth as a consequence.

Low Birth Weight

Low birth weight is another risk observed in IVF pregnancies. Studies suggest that this condition could be caused by parental factors (e.g., maternal age, health conditions) and is often linked to premature birth.

Multiple Births

Until a few years ago, twin births were considered the norm with IVF. Multiple pregnancies can cause premature birth and low birth weight, along with other pregnancy complications. Today, most doctors only transfer a single embryo during the IVF process, which radically lowers the chances of multiple pregnancies.

Birth Defects

Certain studies state that there is a very slight increase in the risk of birth defects in IVF babies. The overall risk, however, remains minimal and very close to that of natural conception. It could also be attributed to parental factors, which we’ll talk about some more in the below section.

Are IVF Babies Healthy?

Yes, a baby born through in vitro fertilization can be physically and mentally healthy. The risk of birth defects is about 3 to 4% in the general population. Studies show a marginal increase of about 1% in IVF-conceived babies! This means that there is a negligible difference in the risk of birth defects that IVF babies and naturally conceived babies face.

Previously, people believed that IVF could cause health risks, as it was a relatively new process. But as IVF has become more common (and safer!), the stigma of IVF babies being ‘different’ and therefore more susceptible to health risks has greatly reduced. For decades, babies born through IVF have shown physical and mental health on par with naturally conceived babies. The low risk of birth defects also proves that IVF babies are actually quite healthy.

After IVF embryo transfer, the embryo continues to grow just like it would in a non-IVF pregnancy. IVF babies experience the same mental, physical, and social developmental milestones and do not experience any significant long-term health risks that we know of.

Correlation Does Not Equal Causation: Why IVF Is Safe

You may sometimes hear about how IVF can increase a baby’s risk of health defects and the many studies that have been conducted on this topic. While studying the extent of long-term health risks in IVF, there are certain issues that arise while gathering data.

For example, it’s unclear whether the long-term health risks for IVF babies are caused by IVF treatment or parental factors like older maternal or paternal age, obesity, health concerns like PCOS or endometriosis, sedentary lifestyle, and so on.

IVF can also increase the risk of twin or multiple pregnancy, which may skew study data negatively. Current data shows no significant differences in the health or development of IVF-conceived children. That said, more research is needed as IVF techniques continue to evolve.

Advancements in IVF Treatment that Reduce Health Risks

IVF as a procedure has changed as well. The protocols most top IVF clinics in Mumbai follow today are very different from what they used to be when IVF was new. The following advancements in IVF treatment make the process safer and reduce health risks.

Embryo Development

Embryos are allowed to develop into day-5 blastocysts before transfer compared to day-3 zygotes. Blastocysts are more stable than day-3 embryos and have a higher rate of implantation.

Single Embryo Transfer (SET)

Transferring multiple embryos at a time was common. After all, the more embryos transferred, the better your chances of success! It was only later that scientists discovered that transferring multiple embryos could result in high-risk multiple pregnancies.

Today, most reputable clinics transfer one embryo at a time (single embryo transfer) to reduce health and pregnancy risks.

Age Limits

Age limits for IVF treatments are much stricter than they used to be. In 2019, 73-year-old Erramatti Mangamma became the then-oldest woman to give birth in India via IVF.

Older parental age increases the risk of birth defects and disabilities in children. Today, only women below 50 and men under 55 are allowed to get IVF treatment in India.

Time-Lapse Imaging

An embryoscope incubator allows us to observe the development of embryos through time-lapse imaging and select the best one. This allows embryologists to monitor the embryos without taking them out of the incubator and accidentally damaging them in the process.

Vitrification

Flash freezing, or vitrification, is the most-used cryopreservation technique today. In the past, the slow freezing technique was used, which would sometimes cause ice crystals to form during freezing. Vitrification prevents the formation of ice crystals and improves egg, sperm, and embryo survival rates.

Genetic Testing

PGT-A and PGT-M testing can screen embryos for any chromosomal or inherited disorders. This can help embryologists select the highest-quality embryos for transfer/cryopreservation.

Advanced Lab Infrastructure

The use of cutting-edge lab tools and new and improved IVF techniques has reduced the possibility of health risks in IVF babies by selecting the best-quality embryos.

Long-Term Health Risks for IVF Babies: Final Thoughts

The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, is 47 years old today. She was conceived in 1978 and is healthy and thriving. She has conceived two children naturally and has not experienced any long-term health risks due to IVF treatment.

To date, millions of children have been born through IVF treatment. Long-term studies have not revealed any long-term health risks due to IVF in these children. They grow, learn, play, laugh, and form emotional connections in the same way that any other child would.

Long-term health risks for IVF babies are still being studied. Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of IVF on children. Although IVF may pose minor risks, it can be safe and effective when carried out by the right fertility clinic. At Corion Fertility Clinic, we offer cutting-edge fertility treatments and add-ons that reduce any possible long-term health risks for IVF babies.

Still have questions about how IVF affects baby health? Talk to our fertility experts today.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do IVF babies have health risks?
A. Yes, IVF babies can have certain health issues, but they may not be caused by the treatment.

Q. Does IVF change the fertilization process?
A. In IVF, fertilization takes place in a petri dish in a laboratory outside the body. The treatment may assist in fertilization but does not alter the actual fertilization process.

Q. Is it unsafe for fertilization to take place outside the body?
A. No, it is not unsafe for the process of fertilization to take place outside the body, as it is similar to what happens inside the fallopian tubes and doesn’t inherently increase any risks to the mother or embryos.

Q. Are babies born through IVF usually infertile?
A. No, babies born through IVF treatment are not infertile. Research indicates that the reproductive health of IVF children is comparable to that of those conceived naturally, and many IVF babies have gone on to have children of their own.