Babies born via Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) are at higher risk of heart defects compared to those conceived naturally, a recent study revealed.

More than 3 million children are born through assisted reproduction each year worldwide. Studies have shown that children born via ART are at an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and certain birth defects.

In the latest large-scale study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers evaluated the risk of congenital heart defects in a cohort of over 7.7 million births from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The birth cohort included 171,735 children conceived through assisted reproduction which includes IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and embryo freezing.

The researchers found that compared to those conceived naturally, babies conceived through ART have a 36% higher risk of being born with a major heart defect. The risk was similar regardless of the type of assisted reproduction used.

"Previous research shows that there are increased risks for babies conceived with the help of assisted reproductive technology. These include preterm birth and low birth weight. We wanted to investigate whether the risk of heart defects was higher for babies born following assisted reproduction," said Professor Ulla-Britt Wennerholm from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden in a news release.

The analysis revealed that while 1.84% of kids conceived after ART had congenital heart disease, 1.15% of spontaneously conceived kids had the same.

Another interesting finding is that while the overall rates of severe congenital heart defects were similar, children conceived through ART showed a slightly higher incidence compared to those conceived spontaneously (0.35% vs 0.26%).

The increased risk is particularly associated with multiple births, common in assisted reproduction, the researchers noted.

"We already know that babies born after assisted reproductive technology have a higher risk of birth defects in general however, we have found a higher risk also in congenital heart defects, the most common major birth defect. The fact that the risk of heart defects is similar regardless of the type of assisted reproduction used may indicate that there is some common factor underlying infertility in parents and congenital heart disease in their babies," said Professor Wennerholm.

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