Major heart defects are more common but still rare in babies conceived through certain fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization, as noted by researchers in the largest study so far examining this issue.
The study, which analyzed over seven million Nordic children, showed that while I.V.F. is associated with a slight increase in birth abnormalities, the absolute risk remains very small.
Dr. Ulla-Britt Wennerholm reassured that although the risk of major heart defects in A.R.T.-conceived children is about 36 percent higher than in naturally conceived children, the overall prevalence remains under 2 percent.
Interestingly, the type of procedure used, whether I.C.S.I. or I.V.F., did not alter the risk of developing heart defects, suggesting uniformity in outcomes regardless of the method employed.
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