Situation may have improved

IVF could more than double the rate of
cerebral palsy, according to research from Denmark. In an article in the
journal Human Reproduction, epidemiologist Jin Lieang Zhu says that the
association between IVF and the disorder is well-known. But it was not clear
whether the real cause was the underlying infertility or IVF procedures. His
research, based on 90,000 children born between 1997 and 2003, demonstrates
that something about IVF itself must be the reason.

Dr Zhu stressed that the overall risk of IVF-related
cerebral palsy was low – only 1 in 176 babies, compared to 1 in 400 for the
British population as a whole. He also said that IVF techniques have improved
considerably since 2003 – the last year covered in his study. ~ Eurekalert,
Nov 2, London
Telegraph, Nov 3

Michael Cook
birth defects
IVF

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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