Are Children of IVF Parents as Healthy as Those Conceived Spontaneously?

Millions of childless couples have been able to experience the joys of parenthood as assisted reproductive technologies have become more advanced. Despite its proven success in so many cases, there are several questions and doubts that hover in the minds of couples who have been trying to get pregnant but have been unsuccessful until now.

A common belief among these couples is directly related to the health of the baby that will be born with the help of assisted reproductive techniques such as in-vitro fertilisation. Many are of the opinion that these babies are not as healthy as those conceived naturally.

Fertility and medical experts are doing their best to put an end to these false beliefs. But that is only possible when one understands the difference between a natural and an assisted conception.

What is the Difference Between IVF and Natural Conception?

In order to arrive at a logical conclusion, it is always wise to run a comparison between natural conception and getting pregnant with the help of assisted techniques. That said, a common and constant factor between both these processes is the fertilisation of the eggs by the sperm. Without this act, pregnancy cannot be achieved.

That said, the key points of differentiation are,

• Natural conception takes place post sexual intercourse in the fallopian tube. During IVF, the process of fertilisation takes place in a petri dish under laboratory conditions.
• During natural conception, the fertilised embryo travels via the fallopian tube and implants naturally in the woman’s uterus, thus, achieving pregnancy. During an IVF process, the embryo that has been fertilised in the lab is artificially implanted in the woman’s uterus.

You should remember that once the implantation of the embryo in the uterus is complete during the IVF process the next set of phases is the same as that of a natural conception. Therefore, the health of a baby conceived with assisted reproductive techniques is not compromised in any way at all.

How Do We Know That IVF Children Are as Healthy as Those Conceived Naturally?

A worldwide project was undertaken to establish that IVF children were as healthy as those who were born via natural conception. The study deep dived into the lives of test tube babies and how they grew into healthy normal adults, just like children conceived naturally.

The study was a collaborative effort led by researchers from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Monash IVF, the University of Melbourne and Monash University where 656 mothers were interviewed. Assisted reproductive techniques were used by all of these mothers which led to the birth of 547 babies. These kids were aged between 18 and 29 years at the time when the study was conducted.

The health reports of these 547 young adults were then compared with those of 549 young adults who were conceived naturally. The findings determined that the health and well-being of children conceived via assisted reproductive techniques in the first 18 years of their life had normal body mass index. The history of pubertal

In any pregnancy, there is some level of complications involved. So is the case with babies, irrespective of their manner of conception.

For parents who have been longing to have a child, there is no greater blessing than having a little one of their own via assisted reproductive techniques. Moreover, the majority of babies born via IVF are normal and healthy, both mentally and physically. This brings in a lot of credibility and trust in the entire process.

However, if you still have questions, why not book a consultation with Dr Vyjayanthi at MotherToBe, a well-known fertility centre in Hyderabad. As Director of the clinic and an experienced fertility specialist, she is one of the very few in India to have earned a sub-specialty accreditation in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK.

With a long and positive reputation in this field, Dr Vyjayanthi and MotherToBe ensure that the experience of your IVF treatment is as worry-free as possible. Let your journey to parenthood begin at one of India’s foremost fertility centers of excellence that can enhance the chances of success for your IVF procedure with an experienced clinical and embryology team. Book an Appointment here.