“This study provides further support for the practice of limiting the number of embryos transferred during in vitro fertilization and similar techniques,” said Dr. Shi Wu Wen and Dr. Mark WalkerBabies born through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) like in vitro fertilization have a small but significantly increased risk of being born with heart problems (2.2 percent for ART babies compared to 1.2 percent for non-ART babies).

Now, a new study of more than 500,000 mother-baby pairs has found that most of this increased risk (87 percent) can be explained by the fact that ART increases the likelihood of having twins, and twins have an inherently higher risk of being born with heart problems.  

This research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, is important because it suggests that the risk of congenital heart problems could be reduced by transferring only one embryo during ART. It also suggests that for early detection of heart problems, it is more important to focus on women carrying twins rather than on women who have had ART.  

“This study provides further support for the practice of limiting the number of embryos transferred during in vitro fertilization and similar techniques,” said Dr. Shi Wu Wen and Dr. Mark Walker of The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa.

Authors: Shi Wu Wen, Monica Taljaard, Jane Lougheed, Laura Gaudet, Michael Davies, Andrea Lanes, Daniel Corsi, Anne Sprague, Mark Walker.

Source: JAMA Pediatrics

Core resources: Ottawa Methods Centre, BORN

Funding: This study was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.  

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