Is IVF at a high risk?
IVF is to help couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their reproductive dreams by implanting embryos into their mothers after IVF through assisted reproductive technology. However, there are concerns that IVF will increase the risk of disease. The following will discuss the prevalence of IVF from four aspects.
Genetic disease risk
In the process of IVF, some genetic defects can be eliminated through gene screening. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of genetic diseases between IVF and natural pregnancy. The genetic defects carried by parents may still be passed to IVF, which has not reduced the chance of suffering from genetic diseases.
Therefore, among couples considering IVF, if one or both of them carry the gene defect of common genetic disease, the probability of IVF disease will increase accordingly. In order to reduce this risk, some hospitals will provide genetic counseling services to help couples understand their own genetic status and genetic variations that may lead to genetic diseases.
In addition, IVF embryos can be genetically tested to screen for chromosomal abnormalities before implantation, reducing the incidence of genetic diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities. However, not all couples choose to carry out embryo gene testing, because this technology is not only expensive, but also may cause damage to the fertilized eggs.
Risk of premature delivery
IVF infants have a relatively high risk of preterm birth. The study found that compared with natural pregnancy, the risk of premature delivery of IVF babies increased by 1.6 times. Preterm infants may face many health problems, such as respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage and infection.
The causes of preterm birth may be related to the drugs used in IVF, physiological and psychological pressure, and trauma during embryo implantation. Hospitals usually closely monitor the mothers of IVF babies and provide necessary medical support and drugs to reduce the risk of premature delivery.
Risk of birth defects
IVF babies have a relatively high risk of birth defects. Research shows that compared with natural pregnancy, the risk of birth defects of IVF babies increases by about 1.5 times. Birth defects include heart defects, cleft lip and palate, neural tube defects, etc.
The occurrence of birth defects may be related to a variety of factors, including the age of parents, the genetic variation carried, the screening measures before the implantation of fertilized embryos, and the operating technology of IVF studios. However, many birth defects are the result of the interaction of multifactorial heredity and environment. At present, there is no exact method to completely eliminate the risk of birth defects.
summary
In conclusion, the risk of IVF disease is not low. Whether it is genetic disease, risk of premature birth or risk of birth defects, IVF has certain risks compared with natural pregnancy. However, the hospital will try its best to take measures to reduce these risks, such as providing genetic counseling, embryo gene screening, obstetrics and gynecology monitoring, etc. Before choosing IVF, couples should consult their doctors to understand their own conditions and risks, and carefully evaluate whether to carry out IVF.
