Complications

The process of IVF got its name from the term in vitro, from the Latin word meaning glass. This is because the fertilization of the eggs occurs outside the human body in glass containers in a laboratory. The first child born from IVF was a British woman born in 1978. Newspaper headlines of that time named her as the first successful test tube baby leading to the less-than-flattering colloquial term of test tube babies for children conceived through IVF.

IVF is the solution to infertility for many couples allowing them to have biological children when they wouldn't have been able to just 50 years ago. But the process isn't without its complications. Here's a look at some of those complications.

Risk to Maternal Health

In vitro fertilization is generally a safe procedure. It is, however, a surgical procedure and all surgical procedures carry some risks. Scientists in the Netherlands completed a study that suggests that the maternal mortality rate with IVF pregnancies is higher than that of the general population. According to the Netherlands study, 42 mothers died per 100,000 IVF pregnancies compared to the general population rate of six deaths per 100,000 pregnancies.

Side Effects of Fertility Drugs

Although fertility drugs are necessary for successful IVF, there have been documented cases of complications arising from the use of these drugs. Some patients have mild side effects like soreness and bruising at the injection site. Other women experience temporary hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and headaches. Some drugs, like GnRH, have been connected to causing estrogen-producing cysts that can reduce the effectiveness of IVF.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is fairly common although life-threatening severe cases are rare. It's caused from the hormone treatments that make the ovaries produce an unnatural amount of eggs in a single cycle. Mild cases cause nausea, diarrhea, slight weight gain and an overall bloated feeling. Moderate cases cause vomiting, excessive weight gain, dark urine, excessive thirst, extremely dry skin and hair, diarrhea and increased abdominal girth. Severe cases can cause calf and chest pain, no urination, severe bloating, shortness of breath and lower abdominal pain. OHSS can be prevented by careful monitoring of hormone intake.

Ovarian twisting is another possible complication from the medications. As the name of the condition implies, the hormone treatments can cause the ovary to twist itself in half and cut off its own blood supply leading to death of the ovary if not treated quickly enough. Surgery may be needed to untwist the ovary. It may need to be removed if it's badly twisted.

Risks for the Child

Some studies suggest that children conceived by IVF have an increased chance of certain types of birth defects. These include cleft lip and palate as well as a variety of heart defects according to the 2008 data from the National Birth Defects Study in the US. An earlier study (2002) in Western Australia suggests that IVF children also tend to have lower birth weights and a higher incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, gastro-intestinal abnormalities and musculo-skeletal abnormalities.