Fertility Issues: What are the risks of in vitro fertilization (IVF)?
The risks associated with in vitro fertilization are those that have to do with:
- Expense
- Outcomes
- Multiple births
- Difficulties during pregnancy
- Side effects of fertility drugs
- Risks associated with procedures
- Surgical risks
- Ethical, emotional and legal risks
Expense
In vitro fertilization costs between $10,000 and $15,000 for one cycle. This does not include procedures to increase the odds of fertilization and often does not include fertility drugs. Without added procedures, it takes at least three cycles for a woman under 35 to have a successful live birth. Success can cost a woman over 40 $132,000.
Outcomes
Statistics can be misleading depending upon what data is included and how it is presented. Clinics that claim 25 percent success admit that this figure applies to superior clinics and no male infertility problems. Only 12.7 percent of IVF cycles overall result in live birth.
Multiple Births
- 49 percent of 2005 assisted reproductive pregnancies resulted in the birth of multiple children.
- Financial strain, exhaustion and parental stress are big factors in the birth of multiple children.
- Birth defects are twice as likely to occur with multiple births.
- Premature birth is a frequent occurrence of multiple pregnancy.
Premature babies experience a multitude of problems including:
- Blindness
- Immature digestive and gastrointestinal systems
- Immature lung development that comes with a whole host of problems
- Low red blood cell development necessitating blood transfusions
- Intraventricular hemorrhage is bleeding into the brain. Blood vessels havent matured enough to withstand the strain of labor
- Inability to maintain body heat means lots of incubator time
Difficulties During Pregnancy
- Older women, those that often have the most reason to utilize IVF, have a high rate of miscarriage
- Premature labor risk is high with IVF.
- There is a higher risk of maternal hemorrhage.
- Odds of pre-eclampsia increase
- Odds of contracting gestational diabetes increase
- Cesarean section is a frequent necessity associated with IVF.
Side Effects of Fertility Drugs
- Blood clots
- Early menopause
- Development of factors that inhibit pregnancy such as hostile mucus and cyst development
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is the swelling of the ovary with fluid-filled follicles. Mild cases may fade on their own. In some cases, fluid can fill the abdominal cavity and lungs. 1 percent of cases end in blood clots and kidney failure.
Risks Associated With Procedures
- Egg retrieval can result in injury to surrounding organs: bladder, bowel, and blood vessels.
- Adnexal torsion is the twisting of the ovary. It can result in the ovary cutting itself off from its blood supply and dying.
- Ectopic pregnancies occur in 2 percent to 11 percent of IVF pregnancies.
Surgical Risks
Bleeding, infection, and complications from anesthesia are a factor with any type of surgery.
Ethical, Emotional, and Legal Risks
The experience of infertility itself, issues of self-esteem and problems with feelings of femininity, masculinity and inadequacy is compounded by the multitude of procedures and decisions, risk-weighing and gambling, expectations and disappointments, and financial stressors of assisted reproductive procedures. It is an emotional rollercoaster.
Multifetal pregnancy reduction adds another layer of ethical considerations. What to do with extra fertilized eggs? Do you destroy, donate or freeze the embryos? Upon learning of multiple pregnancies in the 10th or 12th week, there is a small window of time to decide whether or not to abort some of the fetuses. Fewer babies mean more chance of survival to term. It becomes a question of the ends justifying the means.
In the case of donor sperm or eggs there are also many considerations. Disease that develops may force the seeking out of the donor after birth. Will a child seek out such a biological parent one day? How will divorce or separation influence the birth of an artificially inseminated child? What happens to preserved embryos, sperm, or eggs in these cases?
For more information on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg donation as well as other fertility issues, you should meet with skilled fertility specialists near Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas to discuss potential treatment options.
- Expense
- Outcomes
- Multiple births
- Difficulties during pregnancy
- Side effects of fertility drugs
- Risks associated with procedures
- Surgical risks
- Ethical, emotional and legal risks
Expense
In vitro fertilization costs between $10,000 and $15,000 for one cycle. This does not include procedures to increase the odds of fertilization and often does not include fertility drugs. Without added procedures, it takes at least three cycles for a woman under 35 to have a successful live birth. Success can cost a woman over 40 $132,000.
Outcomes
Statistics can be misleading depending upon what data is included and how it is presented. Clinics that claim 25 percent success admit that this figure applies to superior clinics and no male infertility problems. Only 12.7 percent of IVF cycles overall result in live birth.
Multiple Births
- 49 percent of 2005 assisted reproductive pregnancies resulted in the birth of multiple children.
- Financial strain, exhaustion and parental stress are big factors in the birth of multiple children.
- Birth defects are twice as likely to occur with multiple births.
- Premature birth is a frequent occurrence of multiple pregnancy.
Premature babies experience a multitude of problems including:
- Blindness
- Immature digestive and gastrointestinal systems
- Immature lung development that comes with a whole host of problems
- Low red blood cell development necessitating blood transfusions
- Intraventricular hemorrhage is bleeding into the brain. Blood vessels havent matured enough to withstand the strain of labor
- Inability to maintain body heat means lots of incubator time
Difficulties During Pregnancy
- Older women, those that often have the most reason to utilize IVF, have a high rate of miscarriage
- Premature labor risk is high with IVF.
- There is a higher risk of maternal hemorrhage.
- Odds of pre-eclampsia increase
- Odds of contracting gestational diabetes increase
- Cesarean section is a frequent necessity associated with IVF.
Side Effects of Fertility Drugs
- Blood clots
- Early menopause
- Development of factors that inhibit pregnancy such as hostile mucus and cyst development
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is the swelling of the ovary with fluid-filled follicles. Mild cases may fade on their own. In some cases, fluid can fill the abdominal cavity and lungs. 1 percent of cases end in blood clots and kidney failure.
Risks Associated With Procedures
- Egg retrieval can result in injury to surrounding organs: bladder, bowel, and blood vessels.
- Adnexal torsion is the twisting of the ovary. It can result in the ovary cutting itself off from its blood supply and dying.
- Ectopic pregnancies occur in 2 percent to 11 percent of IVF pregnancies.
Surgical Risks
Bleeding, infection, and complications from anesthesia are a factor with any type of surgery.
Ethical, Emotional, and Legal Risks
The experience of infertility itself, issues of self-esteem and problems with feelings of femininity, masculinity and inadequacy is compounded by the multitude of procedures and decisions, risk-weighing and gambling, expectations and disappointments, and financial stressors of assisted reproductive procedures. It is an emotional rollercoaster.
Multifetal pregnancy reduction adds another layer of ethical considerations. What to do with extra fertilized eggs? Do you destroy, donate or freeze the embryos? Upon learning of multiple pregnancies in the 10th or 12th week, there is a small window of time to decide whether or not to abort some of the fetuses. Fewer babies mean more chance of survival to term. It becomes a question of the ends justifying the means.
In the case of donor sperm or eggs there are also many considerations. Disease that develops may force the seeking out of the donor after birth. Will a child seek out such a biological parent one day? How will divorce or separation influence the birth of an artificially inseminated child? What happens to preserved embryos, sperm, or eggs in these cases?
For more information on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg donation as well as other fertility issues, you should meet with skilled fertility specialists near Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas to discuss potential treatment options.
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