fertilization in vitro:
Fertility treatments do not negatively affect the cardiovascular health of children conceived through IVF, concludes this international study, conducted at the University of Bristol and published in the European Heart Journal. The study identifies no notable differences in blood pressure, heart rate, lipids and blood sugar measurements between children conceived naturally and those conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Complications of pregnancy with fertility treatment:
With the first birth by in vitro fertilization (IVF), the question arose of the possible health risks for children conceived in this way. Previous studies on the topic were mostly limited by small sample sizes, short follow-up times, and insufficient comparison groups. The clinician researchers therefore wanted to dispel, with this new study, general concerns about possible cardiometabolic effects in the unborn child, in the event of conception with fertility treatment.
Cardiometabolic health is comparable in children conceived through IVF:
The study followed 8,600 children participating in Bristol's Children of the 90s study, a world-renowned cohort that has followed pregnant women and their offspring since 1991. The data was large enough to study whether IVF conception affected blood pressure. blood pressure, pulse, lipids or blood sugar from childhood to young adulthood. Data analysis reveals that:
- blood pressure, heart rate and glucose levels are similar in children conceived by IVF or “naturally”;
- if children conceived by IVF nevertheless have slightly higher cholesterol levels in childhood, these levels return to normal in adulthood;
- there are some indications, to be specified, of a slightly higher blood pressure, in children conceived by IVF in adulthood.
cardiometabolic health is comparable in IVF-conceived and naturally-conceived children:
Lead author Dr Ahmed Elhakeem, an epidemiology researcher at Bristol Medical School, comments on the findings: "This is the largest study on the subject and parents who have conceived through IVF, like their children, can be reassured: cardiometabolic health is comparable in children conceived by IVF and conceived naturally. However, studies with a longer follow-up will be carried out in order to examine how these results could possibly evolve in advanced adulthood.
"Science and research are moving rapidly in the fertility industry, but it's clear that larger scale studies like this are needed to improve care."
