When it comes to having babies through IVF (in vitro fertilization), there’s still a lot of curiosity, concern, and let’s be honest—confusion. While IVF has helped millions of couples and individuals fulfill their dream of becoming parents, some people still wonder: are IVF babies as healthy as those conceived naturally? Do they face more risks as they grow up? It’s a valid question, especially since IVF is a relatively new advancement in the long history of human reproduction, and science is still collecting long-term data.Some suggest there might be slightly higher chances of certain complications, like low birth weight or preterm delivery, some also say that IVF kids grow up just as healthy, happy, and high-energy as any playground rascal. The truth? It’s not as simple as a yes or no. Factors like parental age, multiple births, and underlying health conditions often play a much bigger role than the IVF process itself.
Prematurity:
The most common problem in IVF pregnancies is Preterm deliveries. This in fact is because of multiple pregnancy (Twin/Triplet), which commonly occurs in IVF conception because of multiple embryo transfer (2 or 3) to increase the success.Now with advancements like blastocyst & culture and pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT), we can select healthy embryos. This allows us to transfer a single embryo and thereby reducing the risk of premature birth.
Genetic integrity in IVF babies
Another misconception is that IVF would affect the genes of the child. While it is true that genetic material comes directly from the parents, the process of IVF itself does not alter the genes. In fact, it helps in screening the genetic abnormalities before the implantation through Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) which would reduce the chances of transmission of genetic disorders. In fact, even here the long-term genetic health of IVF babies can be compared to naturally conceived babies.
Neonatal health
Any other neonatal issues in the baby are linked to parent’s health and not IVF itself.So it is advisable to care of preconceptionally health of the couple. The couple should maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet, they should undergo all the required test investigations, and then any correction of parameters required. Any other neonatal issues in the baby are linked to parent’s health and not IVF itself.So, it is advisable to care of preconceptionally health of the couple. The couple should maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet. They should undergo all the required investigations, and thereby correction of any parameters required, to ensure a healthy baby.It is really important to spread accurate science-backed information so that couples do not get misled! IVF is a safe and effective method of conception, when managed correctly. This is a gift of science to the couples’ facing issues in conceiving.Dr. Gunjan Kumari Bhagwat, Infertility Specialist & Laparoscopy Surgeon at Apollo Fertility, Ghaziabad
