In vitro fertilization linked with increased risk of congenital heart defects

A new analysis of published studies found a 50% increased risk of congenital heart defects in newborns when women become pregnant via in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) than through spontaneous conception.

The meta-analysis published in Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology evaluated eight studies involving 25 856 children obtained from IVF techniques and 287 995 children conceived spontaneously, and included a total of 2289 cases of congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects were found in 1.30% and 0.68% in the IVF/ICSI and spontaneous conception groups, respectively.

"We believe that IVF/ICSI pregnancies present an increased risk of CHDs as a consequence of early placental dysfunction; however this hypothesis should be demonstrated in future studies. We recommend fetal echocardiography in all pregnancies from IVF/ICSI,” said lead author Dr. Paolo Cavoretto, of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, in Milan, Italy.

Also in the January 2018 issue of UOG: In vitro fertilization linked with increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth