IVF babies at higher risk of developing serious heart defects, study finds

Sweden

Babies born through IVF are twice as likely to develop potentially deadly heart defects, a major study has revealed. This risk increases further if the baby is born a twin. Researchers hope that the results will help doctors diagnose conditions faster.

The findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Heart.

Professor Ulla-Britt Wennerholm, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said, "Congenital heart defects can be extremely serious requiring specialist surgery when babies are very young, so knowing which babies are at the greatest risk can help us diagnose heart defects as early as possible and ensure the right care and treatment are given."

The study involving more than 7.7 million people found that assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), can significantly increase the chances of congenital heart issues in such babies. 

It analysed the medical records of all children born in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden spanning a period between 20 and 31 years.

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The data of babies born through IVF or other assisted reproduction methods, such as embryo freezing, was compared with those who were conceived naturally.

Taking into account other factors, the researchers looked into how many liveborn children in each group were diagnosed with a major heart defect or with a serious heart defect. This included finding the condition either in the womb or in the first year of life.

It was analysed keeping in mind things like the child's year of birth, country of birth, mother's age at delivery, if the mother smoked during pregnancy, or if the mother had diabetes or heart defects were taken into account.

They found heart defects to be more common in babies born through IVF and other such methods, with the problem being around 36 per cent more common compared to babies naturally conceived.

In the case of twin or multiple birth babies, a major heart defect was likely to pose a problem more than others, at 2.47 and 1.15 per cent, respectively.

Experts think that a common factor binds infertility in parents and congenital heart disease in their babies.