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From the blog:
Things That Affect Fertility
Fertility is a somewhat interesting aspect of pregnancy. For some couples who are trying to have children, getting pregnant is easy. They have no problem whatsoever, and can get pregnant really easy. For others, however, they continue to attempt to get pregnant, but fail to see results. They may go...
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Do the Birth Defect Risks Increase When Using Fertility Treatments?
 One of the concerns of many patients in fertility treatment is whether the baby will have any birth defects. The thought of playing around with the egg and sperm tend to bring on all sorts of fears. For this reason some infertile couples have looked at the possibility of adoption. There is hope that birth defects are not as significant as some studies have shown in the past. There are studies which have gone on for years to determine whether the risk of birth defects increase with the use of fertility drugs or other fertility treatments.
The fact is that one in twenty pregnancies can result in birth defects. This is with fertility help and without the help. The birth defects can range from extremely severe physical handicaps to mild emotional conditions. The risk of birth defects can increase for a number of reasons in natural conception or fertility treatments..
Diet and the health of the mother can have a major impact on the fetus. It has been proven that smoking during pregnancy results in low birth weight and premature deliveries. Alcohol consumption can result in the baby being born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Drug use can increase the risk of birth defects and major health issues in the fetus. Many other situations can result in birth defects as well.
The lack of proper nutrients can also increase the risk of birth defects. The lack of Vitamin A in the diet can have adverse affects on the central nervous system, the heart, and respiratory systems among other things. Other vitamin or mineral deficiencies can result in other birth defects.
One of the largest studies done on the North American continent took place in 2007 in Canada. The test subjects were pregnant women. More than 61,000 pregnancies and births were studied extensively. Over 1,000 of these women had received fertility treatments. The study brought good news to many couples facing fertility treatments. The risks of birth defects while undergoing fertility treatment is only 3%.
Studies in the past had the percentage of birth defects much higher. However, breakthroughs in medical research has been able to lower the risk of birth defects. When using fertility treatments for help with conception the couple should try to avoid multiple births. This can be done by limiting the number of embryo implanted into the uterus to one or two. Multiple births can result in birth defects because the fetus has less room to grow.
The findings did conclude that the risks of birth defects were higher in more complicated fertility treatments. The more simple the treatment, like oral medication to stimulate ovation, the less the risk of birth defects.
When any couple seeks medical treatment for fertility issues, they should discuss the risks of birth defects with their fertility team. The risks should be explained. There should be precautions in place to monitor the pregnancy for birth defects. However, the risks are so low that many people do not seem to think it will matter.
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