Study: IVF Babies Have 45% Higher Risk of Death before 1 Year of Age

The level of risk varied depending on which type of assisted reproductive technique was used, and how many days had passed since birth. The risk gradually declined after the first weeks of life. During the first week of life, the children conceived after transfer of a frozen embryo had a more than two-fold higher risk of death than the children conceived naturally. This was, however, based on only a small sample of children conceived with frozen embryos. After one week, the risk dropped to about the same level as the naturally conceived children.

Infants conceived from transfer of a fresh embryo or with the help of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-where a single sperm is injected into the egg-did not have a higher risk of death than naturally conceived children, irrespective of how many days had passed since birth.

According to the researchers, one explanation may be that more IVF-children are born prematurely than those conceived naturally, which in itself could have negative consequences. The leading causes of infant mortality among children conceived with assisted reproductive techniques included respiratory distress, incomplete lung development, infections and neonatal hemorrhage, which are conditions often linked to prematurity.

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