Assisted Reproduction and Increased Birth Defects

      Associate Professor Michael Davies from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health has conducted a series of experiments comparing the risk of serious birth not just between assisted reproduction and natural, but also between different forms of assisted reproduction. This study was the first of its kind and yielded some results that many would-be parents may want to know before they take the plunge into assisted reproduction.    

  "The unadjusted risk of any birth defect in pregnancies involving assisted conception was 8.3% (513 defects), compared with 5.8% for pregnancies not involving assisted conception (17,546 defects)," Said associate professor Davis, "The risk of birth defects for IVF was 7.2% (165 birth defects); and the rate for ICSI was higher at 9.9% (139 defects)." Cryofreezing of embryos prior to the assisted reproduction resulted in significantly lower birth defect rates. This could be attributed to defective embryos failing to survive the freezing/thawing process and as a result those which are successfully cryofrozen being the "cream of the crop" so to speak.

      While these numbers are relevant, one must also take into account that women whom are infertile are usually opting for assisted reproduction and may inherently have a larger chance of producing offspring with birth defects even without assisted reproduction. Inducing ovulation also was noted to lead to a tripled chance of producing offspring suffering from abnormalities. The reproductive process is a delicate one that nature has perfected over the centuries, while alternative options are available  nothing is as safe and reliable as doing things the way nature intended.

Original article here