Possible harm to babies caused by IVF
IVF technology is a breakthrough in modern medicine, helping many infertile couples realize their dream of becoming parents. However, this technology is not without risks. In the process of IVF, babies may face a variety of potential injuries. This article will elaborate on these injuries from several aspects.
1. Physiological risk
IVF may have potential effects on the baby's physiological development. First of all, eggs and sperm may be affected by some factors that are adverse to their growth and development in the laboratory, such as temperature changes, chemical exposure and cell culture pressure. These effects may lead to chromosomal abnormalities, developmental defects or premature birth.
Secondly, IVF and embryo transfer are often used in IVF. These processes involve many times of egg retrieval, fertilization and transplantation, and each step has certain risks. The risk of uterine perforation or infection may be caused by egg retrieval, and complications such as endometriosis, endometritis or infection may be caused during fertilization and embryo transfer.
Finally, hormone drugs are often used in IVF to promote egg development and control ovulation, which may lead to the occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can cause ovarian swelling, diarrhea, vomiting, dyspnea and other symptoms, even life-threatening in severe cases.
2. Psychological and social problems
IVF may also have an impact on the baby's psychological and social development. First of all, IVF usually occurs when couples face difficulties in childbirth, which makes them likely to experience long-term psychological pressure and emotional fluctuations. This environment may adversely affect the brain development of the fetus, affecting their emotional stability and adaptability.
Secondly, IVF may lead to biological differences between the baby and its biological parents, which may have a negative impact on the baby's identity and self-worth. Babies may face pressure and conflict from family and society, because people have different views and prejudices about IVF.
In addition, test tube babies may have multiple pregnancy, which is one of the commonly used methods to improve the success rate. However, multiple pregnancy carries a higher risk, which may lead to premature delivery, low birth weight and other health problems. These health problems may have an important impact on the baby's psychological and social development.
3. Risk of genetic disease
In the process of IVF, genetic screening is often carried out to exclude embryos with serious genetic diseases. However, this screening may not completely eliminate the risk. Test tube babies may carry some genetic diseases or susceptibility genes that cannot be detected in screening, and these diseases may appear after the baby is born.
At the same time, IVF technology also includes the application of gene editing methods aimed at modifying the genome of embryos. However, this technology is still in the research stage, and its long-term impacts and risks are still unclear. Gene editing technology may lead to unpredictable variation or other unexpected consequences, which may have a potential impact on the genetic health of the baby.
4. Moral and ethical issues
IVF technology has caused many moral and ethical problems. For example, multiple embryos may be generated during IVF, but not all embryos will be transferred. This has triggered ethical disputes and moral dilemmas about how to deal with "redundant" embryos.
In addition, IVF often requires the combination of different assisted reproductive technologies, such as egg or sperm donation, surrogacy, etc. These technologies have raised many ethical issues concerning individual rights and interests, family relations and parent-child relations.
Summary
The development of IVF technology has brought hope to infertile couples, but there are also some potential injuries and risks. From the physiological, psychological, genetic and ethical aspects, IVF may have different degrees of influence on babies. Therefore, when choosing to use this technology, parents should fully understand and consider these potential injuries and risks, fully communicate and consult with doctors, and make rational decisions.
