Are babies born through IVF at an elevated risk for birth defects?
Determining if babies born after IVF are at any elevated risks for birth defects or other conditions is very important. Many studies have evaluated birth outcome data, and overall, most babies born after IVF are found to be healthy. Specifically, studies have examined obstetrical outcomes such as birth weight, prematurity, and hypertension in pregnancy. Some studies have looked at the rate of sex chromosome abnormalities, like Klinefelter syndrome, following ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). A small amount of data suggests a possible connection between rare genetic disorders and IVF, however the data are quite limited. Many of the studies showing risks associated with IVF are criticized because they compare babies born following assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to babies of the general population. Most studies have not accounted for the fact that couples with infertility or couples of advanced reproductive age may have a higher chance for certain conditions with or witho
