Should we Cut Back on IVF?
By Lara Salahi,
The Boston Globe
| 01. 29. 2014
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has given about 5 percent of couples who suffer from infertility a shot at parenthood. But are we overusing the technology without clearly understanding its risks? Yes, say a group of European researchers who came to the conclusion by reviewing studies on women who underwent the procedure and the health of children born using the technology.
IVF was originally approved for use in women with fallopian tube disorders and men who suffered with infertility. Today IVF is used with couples with other types of
infertility-related disorders -- including unexplained infertility. In their analysis
published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, the European researchers say we may be overusing IVF to treat an expanded list of conditions without clear evidence that it will be effective. Even if it does work, the procedure is performed without knowing what the risks may be for the women or IVF-born children later on.
Although it’s has been around since the late 1970s, there’s a lot we still don’t know about IVF. More than 60,000 children with born through IVF...
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