
Longer term risks and in vitro fertilization
- Wellbeing of in vitro fertilized
The incidence of congenital abnormalities in children born after in vitro fertilization or ICSI is about a third higher than for children conceived naturally, which means a chance of around 4 per 100 births instead of 3 per 100 births. Nearly all follow up studies have found in vitro fertilization children normal in their physical, mental and social development, but this is is still a subject of ongoing research . There is some evidence of a slightly increased risk of childhood cancers. This translates to less than an extra 1 case of cancer per 1000 of in vitro fertilization children.
There is a slightly higher rate of chromosomal abnormality in children from ICSI, and male children may inherit their father’s infertility.