I was told that ivf babies have a higher risk of having birth defects. I was not told this at my clinic. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this? I will be doing IVF shortly and this concerns me, although IVF seems to be my only option at this point. :dizzy: :dizzy:

Carisa

It's true, but the defect rate is still small:

1.87% for naturally conceived babies

2.97% for IVF conceived babies

2.66% for intra-uterine insemination

2.19% for ovulation induction

(from a BBC news story)

OK, that's pretty small. I have never heard the stats, just that it is more common with IVF. That sounds ok now. Thank you.

Hi - I read somewhere that the reason there is an increase in birth defects is related to the reason of infertility. Meaning, that if you someone wasnt getting PG becasue of say bad egg quality then the risk of birth defects is higher in that person because the eggs are poor.

:confused: I dont know if I made sense there - but I tried.. LOL

-Dana.

Hi Carisa.
My IVF clinic gave me a handout about the increase in birth defects in IVF babies, but like the other post says, it is a very small risk. not much more than normal. and like Dana said, it is usually because you already have IF issues to begin with. it isn't the IVF per se that makes a birth defect more likely. although i have read about PGD and for some people that might make sense if you are worried, especially if you already know you are high risk. since you know i am heading towards IVF soon, i have read the material but i am trying to put it out of my mind. i don't want to worry more than I already am. I'll make myself go crazy:eek:

-Yes, that makes a lot of sense that if you have older eggs or something like that.-

Also,what is PGD?

Oh, nevermind, I just looked up pgd! I don't think I'll need to go that route!! Geez, I'm such a worrier!!

Good luck! I hope that it all works out for you, in a very healthy way! :D

Hi Carisa.

From what I understand, most couples that use PGD have a higher risk of genetic abnormalities and are worried about things like Down's Syndrome or such. So they can check the embryos out before they implant them to try to decrease the risk of a baby being born with a birth defect. I am not going to use PGD. But i am going to do ICSI.

Just wanted to chime in an additional tidbit of information.

I was told by my OB that stimming drugs cause the placenta to age just a little faster. So my OB had me scheduled for induction 10 days prior to my due date. My son had other plans, he decided to come 10 weeks early, but when you do get your BFP, make sure that your RE sends your IF records over to your OB so they have accurate information. OB's do tend to IVF/IUI pregnancies a little differently than a "normal" conception.

Amy

Amy- I had never heard that before, I will definitley let my OB know if and when I get pregnant. I wonder why the placenta would age quicker?