How does IVF affect the child's body
IVF is a method to cultivate the fertilized eggs in vitro and transfer them back to the mother's body for development through assisted reproduction technology, so as to enable couples who cannot conceive naturally to achieve fertility. Although IVF technology has enabled many couples to realize their dream of becoming parents, artificial intervention in the process of embryonic development may also have some impact on the child's body.
Increased risk of premature delivery
Research shows that IVF is more likely to give birth prematurely than naturally pregnant women. Preterm delivery refers to the birth of a baby whose gestation period is less than 37 weeks. This is because IVF is usually obtained through assisted reproductive technology, which may cause hormone changes in pregnant women, thus increasing the risk of premature delivery. Premature infants may face challenges such as inadequate respiratory development, weak immune system and other health problems.
In addition, IVF may also increase the risk of multiple pregnancy, that is, pregnant with two or more fetuses during pregnancy. Multiple pregnancy will increase the risk of premature delivery and low birth weight, and may have long-term effects on the health and development of infants.
Genetic factor
IVF technology is usually implemented with donated sperm, eggs or embryos. This may cause some genetic problems. First, donated eggs or embryos may carry the risk of some genetic diseases, which may be passed on to infants without careful screening and testing. In addition, the donated eggs or embryos do not match the recipient's own genes, which may lead to some genetic problems, such as immune system mismatch, blood type mismatch, etc.
Mental health problems
IVF may face mental health problems, such as identification with biological parents or other IVF growth environment. Some studies have found that IVF may be more prone to behavioral and emotional problems in adolescence, which may be related to children's lack of accurate understanding of their own life experience and uncertainty of identity.
growth and development
Compared with natural pregnancy, the growth and development of IVF may be slightly delayed after birth. This may be because the environment of IVF in vitro is different from that in uterus. In addition, IVF babies may receive some special treatments or drugs, which may have a certain impact on growth and development. Nevertheless, the growth and development of most IVF babies are still within the normal range.
To sum up, although IVF has brought joy to many couples, it also has some potential physical effects. These effects include the risk of premature delivery and multiple pregnancy, possible genetic factors, mental health problems, and slightly delayed growth and development compared with natural pregnancy. Although these effects do not apply to all IVF, couples should fully understand and consider these possible consequences when choosing IVF technology.
