Birth Defects Tied to Fertility Techniques

Seattle – A study has found that birth defects are tied to fertility techniques. Many people now use fertility treatments to conceive a baby. The study had fourteen thousand female participants in it. Two hundred and eighty one of these women used fertility treatments or techniques to try and get pregnant.

2.4 percent of the women in the study who used fertility treatments to conceive a baby gave birth to a baby that had birth defects. There is always a chance that any child can be born with birth defects.

One cause of the number of birth defects is that couples could conceive multiple babies during their pregnancy. Multiples usually have more birth defects than singleton babies because multiples have to share all of the nutrients and oxygen that their mother has while they are in the womb. This means that the babies are born smaller and earlier than singleton babies so they do not get as much time to develop in the womb like singleton babies do.

“I think it’s important for people to be aware that there may be an increased risk for birth defects with ART,” said Jennita Reefhuis, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “But it is also really important for couples to realize that with any pregnancy, there is a 3 percent risk of a birth defect regardless of any exposures during pregnancy.”

More than one percent of babies are born due to their mothers using assisted reproductive technology. Women first were able to use this technology to try and get pregnant in the 1980’s. In 2005, the technology was used to conceive 52,000 babies.

Some of the birth defects that are common for babies conceived through assisted reproduction technology are: heart wall problems, cleft lip, cleft palate, and gastrointestinal problems. Babies who were conceived with the fertility technology were two to four times more likely to have birth defects than those babies who were conceive using no fertility treatments at all.

Women all around the world face infertility issues. Many women have to use assisted reproduction technology in order to conceive a baby. This study does show that infertility may increase your child’s chances of being born with a birth defect because you will need to use alternate means in order to become pregnant.

Women should know that this study does not mean that every child conceived using assisted reproduction technology will have birth defects. There is always a risk for birth defects because of factors such as age, family history, lifestyle, and environment. In order to lessen your chances of having a child born with birth defects you should take a prenatal vitamin every day while you are pregnant and you should make sure that you get plenty of folic acid. You should maintain a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regularly. Before you decide to use assisted reproduction technology, you should consult with a fertility specialist so you can understand the procedures and the risk factors for birth defects that are involved.