Does IVF affect children's health?
Test tube baby is an assisted reproductive technology, which brings hope to many infertile couples. However, there has always been controversy about whether IVF has an impact on children's health. In this article, we will elaborate the impact of IVF on children's health from four aspects.
1. Probability of genetic disease
One of the main characteristics of IVF is the genetic screening of embryos. Through genetic testing, doctors can screen out embryos with abnormal chromosomes or high risk of genetic diseases, so as to select healthy embryos for transplantation. This screening can reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases.
However, this does not mean that IVF children will not suffer from any disease. Genetic diseases are diverse, and some diseases may not be detected through screening. Therefore, although IVF can reduce the risk of some genetic diseases, it cannot be completely eliminated.
In addition, IVF may also face some genetic problems related to sperm or egg quality. This may lead to some genetic diseases related to fertility or growth and development.
2. Pregnancy complications
Compared with natural pregnancy, IVF pregnancy has certain risks. First, in the process of IVF, hormones are usually used to promote the production of eggs. This may lead to a higher rate of multiple pregnancies and increase the risk of premature delivery and fetal development problems.
Secondly, after IVF transplantation, complications may occur during pregnancy and childbirth. These complications include perinatal hypertension, gestational diabetes, placental abruption and perinatal infection. These complications will have a certain impact on the health of mothers and fetuses.
In addition, test tube babies may experience blastocyst displacement or ectopic pregnancy after extrauterine embryo transfer, which needs timely diagnosis and treatment to avoid serious threats to mother and infant health.
3. Long term development
Some studies have shown that there may be differences in some aspects of the development between IVF and naturally conceived children. Although these differences may be small, they still need attention.
First, some studies have shown that some behavioral characteristics of IVF may be different from those of naturally conceived children, such as sleep quality, emotional regulation, etc. These differences may be related to the treatment before embryo transfer, pregnancy experience and birth environment.
Secondly, some studies also found that the intellectual development of IVF may slightly lag behind that of naturally conceived children. However, although this difference exists, it does not mean that IVF children will have obvious cognitive or learning difficulties.
It should be pointed out that children's development is not only affected by genetic factors, but also by environmental factors. Therefore, there may be other factors that will bring varying degrees of development impact to IVF.
4. Mental health
IVF babies sometimes face identification problems related to biological genes. When they grow up, they may have questions about how they were born. This uncertainty of identity may have an impact on their mental health.
Research shows that IVF adolescents may be more likely to feel depressed, anxious or inferiority complex. They may feel isolated or stressed out because they feel different. Family support and positive communication can help them deal with these emotional challenges and promote their mental health.
summary
In conclusion, IVF will have a certain impact on children's health. Although IVF can reduce the risk of genetic diseases, it cannot be completely eliminated. Complications during pregnancy may have an impact on the health of mothers and infants. There may be some differences in long-term development, but attention should be paid to individual differences and environmental factors. In addition, IVF babies may face some mental health problems and need family support and attention.
