IVF was first introduced to the whole world in 1978. Louise Brown, which was born on 25 July 1978 at Oldham General Hospital - UK, was the first IVF baby in the world. According to Dr. David Adamson (International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology), as of 2018, there are 8 million babies born through IVF throughout the world.
This method does have a fairly high success rate, but there are also those who experience failure in the process. If that happens, the whole process will be done again to achieve success. In addition, the cost of the whole process is expensive. In the previous article, the stages of IVF process were discussed. In this article, the risks that can occur from IVF process will be discussed.
As quoted from the Mayo Clinic page, here are the risks that can occur when undergoing IVF methods;
- Multiple births, IVF increases the risk of multiple births if more than one embryo is implanted. Twin pregnancies usually have a higher risk of preterm labor and lower infant weight compared to normal pregnancies (1 fetus).
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a condition in which the ovary can produce more eggs than normal. The use of fertility drugs such as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) which is used to induce ovulation can cause the ovary to become swollen and painful. Someone who suffers from OHSS will usually have symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
- Miscarriage, Someone who underwent the IVF method also has the same risk of miscarriage as those with normal pregnancy, which is about 15-25%. The risk will also be higher if frozen embryos are used during the IVF process.
- Ectopic pregnancy, or commonly known as pregnancy outside the womb, occurs when the embryos that have been planted do not stick to the uterus, but stays in the fallopian tubes. Unfortunately, the embryo cannot live outside the uterus, so the cell will die and the pregnancy process will stop.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Getty Images
Source(s):
- Mayo Clinic - In vitro fertilization (IVF). https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716, February 14, 2019.
- Science Daily - More than 8 million babies born from IVF since the world’s first in 1978 (2018). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180703084127.htm, February 14, 2019.