In Vitro Fertilization Kids have Higher Risk in Developing Cancer
Posted on 20. Jul, 2010 by Justin Chaucer in Health
Study shows that children conceived through in vitro fertilization have a higher risk of developing cancer than children who were conceived naturally. There was in increase of 42 percent for the risk of cancer in the Swedish kids conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) although the absolute risk of cancer was still quite low. “We found a roughly 50 percent increased risk for cancer in the IVF children, which means that if the risk without IVF is two per 1,000, it increases to three per 1,000 after IVF,” said study author Dr. Bengt Kallen, a professor emeritus in embryology at the Tornblad Institute at the University of Lund in Sweden.
The researchers used the Swedish Medical Birth Register to gather about 27,000 children who were born through IVF in Sweden from 1982 to 2005. They found that 53 children born through IVF had developed cancer comparing to the usual rate of 38 cases of cancer in children conceived naturally. Other factors were also seen to influence the risk of cancer: children who are preterm or born before 37 weeks gestation, children with low birth weight, respiratory problems or a low APGAR score had higher rates of cancer. There were also other factors included in the study did not seem to affect the child’s risk for cancer. These are the mother’s age, weight, smoking status, number of miscarriages she had and incidences of multiple birth pregnancy.
“This study is interesting and thought-provoking, and it adds to our growing knowledge of potential IVF consequences,” said Dr. David Cohen, chief of reproductive medicine at the University of Chicago. He added, “But, it’s still difficut tot hink what the biological plausibility would be. If it were something that occurs during the in vitro process or some substances in the media used, I would think that it woul d cause a much higher number of cancers. This may just be statistical oddity.” It is still unclear how IVF children have increased risk for cancer, but experts believe that the study must also be part in the counselling for parents who want to have children through IVF.
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