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THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF
IN VITRO FERTILIZATION
By Bradley Mattes, MBS
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is viewed as controversial technology
within the pro-life community. Many have an ethical problem with how human life
is created. The primary reason though is that most doctors who perform this
technique of assisted reproductive technology do not value each and every life
created through IVF. With rare exception, most physicians fertilize more ova
than are implanted into the woman’s uterus. Each embryo created in the
medical laboratory is a unique human being, worthy of protection. Sadly, many
tiny preborn children languish in frozen storage around the nation, while others
are callously washed down the drain, or worse, experimented upon. In addition,
parents who find out they are expecting twins or triplets, sometimes opt for
“selective reduction” which is aborting some of the babies to get
fewer children.
There is another reason society can look upon IVF with concern.
More than a dozen scientific papers have been published suggesting that children
conceived through IVF may have an increased risk of physical problems. This
may come as a surprise to many; however, the growing evidence is unmistakable
and should not be ignored. IVF accounts for over 50,000 children born each year
throughout the world. As a result, birth defects from IVF is an issue that deserves
the attention of the field of fertility medicine and others.
A Swedish study first published in the February 9 issue of The
Lancet suggests that IVF increases the risk of neurological problems. The
study, done at the University Children’s Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, found
IVF children were almost twice as likely to develop a neurological problem than
those who were conceived naturally. They were three times more likely to have
cerebral palsy, and four times as likely to have some type of developmental
delay. 1 Researchers believe the risks are largely due to the increased likelihood
of twin pregnancies, low birth weight and a premature delivery.
While multiple birth pregnancies are attributed to health problems
for IVF babies, not all potential problems fit this category.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed an
“alarming” increase in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, according to Dr.
Andrew Feinberg, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
2 IVF children are six times more likely to have the syndrome. It is characterized
by an enlarged tongue, retardation, abnormalities in the kidney, liver and spleen,
and a predisposition for early childhood cancers. The research indicates that
certain growth-regulating genes had a tendency to be imprinted incorrectly in
babies conceived by IVF. Scientists called the link between Beckwith-Wiedemann
and IVF “strong.”
A second study done in Ireland at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital
supports the Beckwith-Wiedemann link, as well as another. Professor William
Reardon, a genetics expert at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, said their research
showed IVF children were three times more likely to have Beckwith-Wiedemann
syndrome or Angelman syndrome, 3 which causes a stiff, jerky gait, excessive
laughter and seizures. Other symptoms can include mental retardation and poor
balance.
Another study co-authored by Kristine Anthis, assistant psychology
professor at Southern Connecticut State University, found that twins conceived
by IVF tend to be smaller than twins naturally conceived. 4 The size difference
disappeared by age two. However, there was still a significant difference in
physical development, including body control, coordination and fine motor skills.
Sarah McDonald, of the University of Ottawa, and her colleagues
found that twins conceived by IVF were one-and-a-half times more likely to be
born prematurely than twins conceived naturally.5 They were also two times more
likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and 1.33 times more likely
to be delivered by caesarean section.
Research done at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore,
MD reported that IVF babies showed a sevenfold increase in the incidence of
certain urological and genital defects, including some babies born with their
bladders outside their bodies. 6
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found
that IVF singleton babies were twice as likely to be born at a very low birth
weight than naturally conceived children. 7 Prior to this research, doctors
had incorrectly assumed that was only the case with multiple birth IVF pregnancies.
According to a report from the BBC, the practice of “hatching”
is a method of making a hole in the membrane around the embryo, increasing the
chance of the baby successfully implanting into the endometrium. However, it
is reported that this process causes a much higher rate of “monozygotic
twining.” 8 This twining process is more likely to cause birth defects
in the babies.
An Australian study by Dr. Jane R. W. Fisher, from the University
of Melbourne, found that mothers of IVF babies are at an increased risk for
post-natal mood disorders and early parenting difficulties. 9
Other studies show additional related problems. Donated eggs raise
the risk of mothers experiencing pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood
pressure) and early miscarriage. 10 Scotland is looking at barring clinically
obese women from undergoing IVF due to an increased danger for them and their
babies. 11
These complications may be less surprising to researchers at Yale
School of Medicine. They found that eighty-five percent of embryos produced
during IVF don’t result in live births. 12 According to them, “Something
in nature has decided that these implanted embryos are not viable.” Which
may indicate that those babies who do survive may have undetected genetic defects.
Evidence seems to indicate that IVF tinkers with the system provided by our
Creator. It may be possible that assisted conception comes with an unexpected
price.
Some medical experts feel parents are unnecessarily being frightened.
Dr. Michael Alper, medical director at Boston IVF in Waltham, MA, says that
91% of children conceived by IVF are born without any major birth defect. He
says couples faced with infertility should have the choice of using modern technology
to conceive.
However, it’s probably safe to say that a vast majority of
parents would want to know there may be potential hazards associated with assisted
reproductive technology. Many may not want to risk the health of children born
by IVF and instead look to other more conventional means of having a family,
such as adoption.
The goal of this article is not to inflame the debate on IVF.
There are understandably legitimate concerns surrounding the ethics of assisted
reproductive technology. Life Issues Institute condemns any part of the process
that involves the destruction of innocent human life. At the same time, we feel
a great deal of empathy for married couples who desperately want to have children.
Considering the possible implications, it’s important to
enlighten the reader that there are many unanswered questions regarding the
future health and welfare of babies conceived by IVF. A fully informed parent
is better equipped to make wise decisions for themselves and their families.
1 Brain Work, The Neuroscience Newsletter, Page 1, March-April
2002.
2 American Journal of Human Genetics, 72:156-160, 2003.
3 An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Vol. 112, Issue
12, Page 1589, December 2005.
4 Kelly-Vance, L., Anthis, K. S., & Needelman, H. (2004). Assisted reproduction
versus spontaneous pregnancy: A comparison of the developmental outcomes in
low birth weight twins. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 165, Pages 157-167.
5 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 193, Issue 1 , July 2005,
Pages 141-152.
6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/922021.stm
7 New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 346, Pages 731-737, No. 10, March 7,
2002.
8 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/922021.stm
9 Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 84, Issue 2, Pages 426-430, August 2005.
10 http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=1850
11 http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=2351382005
12 Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 84, No. 2, Pages 325-530, August 2005.
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