Are Children Healthy after IVF?

Congenital pathology.

There are 4 million children born with help of IVF and other reproduction techniques (ICSI, donor, surrogate programs). Statistics show that the incidences of congenital abnormalities happen no more than with children conceived naturally.

Reproductive function of women born after IVF.

Already a lot of women, since Louise Brown (the first girl born by this method), became mothers and have their families. No further problems with pregnancy were found. Their children are healthy.

Intelligence and mental health of children born after IVF.

It is shown that IQ of children born after IVF is slightly higher than of the main population. This is because the "donor” children are very desirable by their parents, who give them more time and money. In addition, these children are usually born in families with great material possibilities, which also allow giving them a better education. Mentally after IVF children are no different from their peers.

Twins, triplets, etc.

After IVF twins, triplets, etc. are born more often. As a result, they are more common among premature born babies, who in the early years of their life cannot keep up with their peers. But they usually catch up on everything and do not differ from the others.

Man:

• make sure that white blood level is not increased in the semen. If so, undergo an anti-inflammatory treatment, but previously consult with the doctor;
• freeze 1-2 samples of sperm if you’re away for the time when the eggs from the woman are obtained;
• if there’s just a single sperm in ejaculate, give a couple of sperm samples in advance so that they can be frozen and then used in IVF / ICSI.

Women:

• ultrasound.

Signs of the disease, which must be removed before the start of ovarian stimulation:

• an endometrium is too thick or too thin (hysteroscopy);
• suspected polyps or endometrial adhesions (hysteroscopy);
• fluid in the uterus (removal pipes if there is an inflammatory disease of the fallopian tubes);
• cysts in the ovaries (to understand which ones first and to remove either by any medical or surgical method).