International Fertility Clinicians comment on NEJM article on Assisted Reproduction and Birth Defects

Professor Joe Leigh Simpson (New York, USA) President-Elect of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) commented:

“This study confirms largely confirms what we already know, that there is a slightly increased risk of problems in children conceived via assisted conception.  We suspect that a large part of this may be due to the nature of infertility itself – if someone has a fertility problem in the first place, then it wouldn’t be surprising if there is an increased frequency of problems in their offspring, such as birth defects, even after achieving pregnancy. This is illustrated by this report also showing increased birth defects in offspring of infertile couples who become pregnant without requiring ART.

The study itself is interesting, but we need to know more, for example on the definitions of birth defect used, and whether the results from a generation ago are still relevant. But we should also take this work seriously; it highlights the need for continued vigilance, perhaps especially with ICSI. Parents need to be counselled individually, but we also need to keep things in perspective; the vast majority of births after assisted conception show no problems”.

International fertility clinicians comment on reports linking assisted reproduction with increased risk of congenital malformations.

Press reports yesterday commented on the work of Viot et al*, presented at the European Society for Human Genetics conference. This works indicates an increased risk of congenital malformation posed by the use of Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART).

The International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS), which is the main international body representing national societies working in the fields of fertility and contraception, is issuing the following statement.

“Assisted conception has been responsible for the birth of several million healthy babies born worldwide and is generally a safe process for both mother and baby. There have been previously reported data indicating a small but definite increase in IVF conceptions born with a congenital abnormality. It is unknown if this increase is a consequence of the ART procedures, or of the infertility which is being treated, or both.The IFFS supports continued worldwide surveillance into the outcomes of assisted conception in order to improve our understanding of these concerns. Clinicians are generally aware of this slight risk of congenital abnormalities. The IFFS fully supports clear and comprehensive information being provided to patients to enable them to make informed decisions about treatment”.