What are the risks of IVF in China?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a kind of fertility mode in which the fertilized egg is transferred to the mother to achieve pregnancy on the basis of IVF. Although IVF technology has been widely used in China and has achieved some success, there are still some risks. The following will elaborate on the risks of IVF in China from four aspects: surrogacy, multiple pregnancy, genetic disease screening and mental health.
1. Risk of surrogacy
In IVF technology, surrogacy is often used, that is, embryos are transferred to other women's uterus for pregnancy. There are certain risks in the process of surrogacy, which not only involve the physical and mental health of both parties, but also may cause legal disputes.
First of all, the surrogate process imposes a certain burden on the health of the surrogate mother. Women with poor health may face pregnancy risks, such as uterine bleeding, poor nutrition and premature delivery. In addition, the surrogate mother registered her own child on the birth certificate, but the legal mother is defined as the "reproductive mother" of the baby in law. The surrogate mother does not have the custody of the baby, which may lead to legal risks of competing for custody and inheritance rights.
Secondly, surrogacy contract disputes may occur in the process of surrogacy. Because of the potential doubt of making money, some surrogate mothers may change their mind and refuse to give the baby to the client. Moreover, the surrogacy contract has not been well protected by the judiciary in the legal field of our country. Once a dispute occurs, it may be difficult for the client to safeguard his rights and interests.
2. Risk of multiple pregnancy
In the process of IVF assisted pregnancy, multiple fertilized eggs are usually implanted in the uterus to increase the success rate of pregnancy. However, multiple pregnancy will increase the health risks of mothers and infants.
In multiple pregnancy, the close relationship between fetuses may lead to the increase of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, such as early abortion, placental abruption and fetal dysplasia. Moreover, multiple pregnancy increases the probability of the mother suffering from hypertension, diabetes and postpartum hemorrhage, which may endanger the life of the mother and baby in serious cases.
In addition, multiple pregnancy is a huge pressure on the family's economic and mental status. Raising multiple babies requires more material and energy input, and faces problems such as insufficient sleep and poor care, which is easy to bring psychological burden and fatigue to family members.
3. Risk of genetic disease screening
In the process of fertilization, IVF technology often requires gene screening for genetic diseases. However, even after screening, the risk of infants suffering from genetic diseases cannot be absolutely excluded.
There are two main transmission modes of genetic diseases, one is single gene genetic disease, the other is abnormal chromosome structure. For single gene genetic diseases, the risk of genetic diseases can be identified through screening. However, for chromosomal structural abnormalities, the current domestic screening technology still has some limitations, which may not be able to detect abnormalities completely and accurately.
In addition, even if genetic screening is carried out, it may not guarantee that children will not suffer from genetic diseases in the future. Because some diseases are characterized by uncertainty or polygenic inheritance, this risk cannot be completely excluded in IVF technology.
4. Mental health risks
The process of IVF may bring some mental health problems to both spouses.
First of all, IVF surgery itself may cause mental stress to both spouses. On the one hand, if the operation fails, it may lead to confusion and pain between the husband and wife; On the other hand, if the operation is successful, both husband and wife may face worries and anxiety about future childcare.
Secondly, IVF technology may increase the marital burden of both spouses. On the one hand, because surgery and later care require a lot of time and energy investment, it may reduce the time for couples to get along, leading to increased emotional alienation and conflict between each other; On the other hand, if the operation fails or there is a genetic disease in the baby, the problem of responsibility attribution may arise, which will increase the pressure on the relationship between husband and wife.
Summary
There are certain risks in the application of IVF technology in China. The risk of surrogacy involves the health of the surrogate mother and legal disputes. The risk of multiple pregnancy includes complications and psychological stress. The risk of genetic disease screening is limited, and the possibility of infant disease cannot be completely ruled out. Mental health risks include surgical stress and the impact on marriage. In the future, we should strengthen the supervision and regulation of IVF technology, optimize the technical process and reduce the occurrence of risks.
