Recent research into assisted reproductive technology has found that it causes a change in the methylation patterns of animal embryos that scientists worry may result in future infertility. Abnormal methylation and imprinting can result in embryonic death and is a possible reason why many IVF cycles do not succeed or result in early miscarriage.
It can also cause excessive or stunted fetal growth. This has led researchers to wonder if embryos who methylate abnormally after IVF could inherit their parent’s infertility and in turn, struggle to have their own children?
Infertility and Obesity Epidemic in IVF Born Kids?
UK fertility experts think that children born after IVF are at greater risk of their own infertility and other health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Dr Van Steirteghem, who invented Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is injected into an egg, said
“There are genetic causes of infertility that you can pass on. It means that the next generation may be infertile as well - something all clinics should mention to the patients - that if there is a genetic origin that this genetic origin of infertility may be transmitted to the next generation.”
He also said that his procedure to treat male infertility – ICSI – was being over-used and could put patients at risk. The medical community is aware of the genetic origin of some types of infertility and as yet, the possibility that ICSI may pass on infertility to sons born after it has not been studied.
Researchers from the USA are just as concerned and are waiting for the boys born after this technique to reach puberty so they can see if they will be fertile or not.
Dr. Tommaso Falcone, from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at the Cleveland Clinic, said
“This is the generation we’ve created. We may have tens of thousands of boys born with infertility.”
Around 9,000 babies are born in the US each year who have fathers with male factor infertility, but it is only a concern for the boys. Doctors aren’t worried about the daughters born to such men.
IVF and the Autism Epidemic?
It has even been implicated in the growing autism epidemic. Since the 1990’s, autism has been steadily increasing. Originally only occurring in one in every 10,000 children, autism now occurs in as many as one in 66 children. There are many theoretical causes including genetics, mitochondrial dysfunction, hormones, pollution, mercury poisoning and vaccines, but now IVF has been added to the list.
Authors from Reproductive Health wrote:
‘Aberrant imprinting might also play a role in cancers and neuro-behavioral disorders and autism. Some reports suggest parent-specific imprinting defect in common neuro-behavioral disorders. Autism, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other neuro-behavioral phenotypes such as alcohol abuse and audiogenic seizures may be linked to imprinting disturbances.’
So, what they’re saying is abnormal imprinting of the embryo that can be passed on by the parents, can result in disorders like autism and mental health problems. The fact that the parents are genetically abnormal may have caused their infertility issues in the first place so there would be a higher rate of abnormal methylation and imprinting after embryos conceived by IVF.
However, researchers publishing in Fertility and Sterility say that this phenomena has only been seen in animal embryos, not human ones, so further research has to be done to see if assisted reproduction is the origin of adult diseases and infertility.
Sources:
- Genomic imprinting and assisted reproduction, Reproductive Health 2004, 1:6. Accessed 5th September 2011.
- Infertility time bomb: IVF children have higher risk of infertility, obesity and diabetes, The Daily Mail, 23rd February 2010. Accessed 5th September 2011.
- Pass it on: Sons of infertile men may be next, MSNbc.com News, 17th September 2008. Accessed 5th September 2011.
Joanna Karpasea-Jones - I have been a health writer since 1997 when I published my own newsletter, SHOTS. I have written 2 books on childhood health, and write ...
