Global Nutrition And Health - Via University College Denmark

Are IVF babies healthy?

Lacking a solid understanding of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, many couples have pre-conceived notions about the treatment and its effects on the child conceived from that treatment. One prejudice that is pervasive even among the educated class is that IVF babies are not completely ‘normal’. The foundation of their argument is that IVF babies are not the result of a natural process, but a sophisticated clinical process that requires technical expertise and surgical procedures. They believe that IVF babies cannot be as normal as those born naturally.This misconception has been perpetuated by ignorance and holds no truth. Babies conceived from IVF treatment are just like other children as far as their physical attributes and mental capacity are concerned. And they come into the world in the same way – carried in the womb of their mother (or a surrogate mother) for nine months until delivered by a doctor.“This misconception has been perpetuated by ignorance and holds no truth.”While it is true that in IVF, the doctor inserts the embryo into the uterus of the female through the cervix, from that point on, the pregnancy is like any other. One must bear in mind that the technology used is referred to as Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), not Artificial Reproductive Technology.The difference between normal conception and IVF is that in the case of IVF, the egg is fertilized by the sperm in a lab under the supervision of skilled and experienced scientists. A certain level of embryo growth takes place in the laboratory (mimicking growth in human body) and and once the embryo has reached the right stage in its development, it is placed in the female’s uterus, after which the growth and entire pregnancy carries on as it would after natural conception. Mostly couples opt for IVF because either the male or female partner (or in some cases, both partners) has a fertility issue that prevents natural conception.IVF treatment is one of many fertility treatments offered by Medicover Fertility, a division of European healthcare provider Medicover. Medicover provides healthcare services to more than a million people in 15 countries, including India, Germany, UK, Russia and Turkey. Through its IVF Success Programme, Medicover has achieved a 89% success rate, helping couples throughout the world to achieve their goal of parenthood.