Are babies born through IVF at higher risk of congenital abnormalities?

MYTH: There is a higher risk of abnormalities in babies born through IVF

FACT: There is no difference in the risk of congenital abnormalities between babies born through IVF and those naturally conceived.

There is a higher risk in cases where the woman is over 35 years of age or there is a history of specific genetic disorders like, thalassemia, certain types of Muscular Dystrophy etc. In such cases advanced ART techniques like Preimplantation Genetic Testing – Aneuploidy (PGT-A), Preimplantation Genetic Testing – Monogenic (PGT-M) and Preimplantation Genetic Testing - Structural Rearrangement (PGT-SR) allow accurate detection of chromosomal errors in the embryo or specific genetic abnormality before the transfer. This increases the chances of a healthy and chromosomally normal baby.

Chromosomal abnormalities are responsible for more than 50% of miscarriages in early pregnancy. Chromosomally abnormal embryos may lead to birth defects in the babies. Fertility specialists are vouching for modern technology like genetic testing, which have a predicted accuracy of 98% for detecting any chromosomal abnormalities in the embryos.