Children Born via In Vitro Fertilization Have Higher Cancer Risk
According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, children conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) have an increased risk of cancer.
The study, conducted by Dr. Bengt Kallen of the University of Lund in Sweden, examined children born via IVF from 1982 to 2005. Overall 53 cases of cancer were found, while only 38 cases were found in the children of the general population. Contributing factors included high-birth weight, premature delivery, respiratory diagnoses and low Apgar scores (a scoring system assessing a newborn’s health within the first 1-5 minutes after birth). Also, the infants showed a slightly higher rate of birth defects such as heart problems and cleft palates.
The researchers concluded that the risk for cancer was moderately increased in children conceived by IVF. The risk is more likely connected to the characteristics of the mother going through IVF rather than the procedure itself. The researchers stressed that the individual cancer risk for a child born via IVF is low.
