Down’s syndrome alert for IVF babies

High-dosage fertility drugs used to kick-start older women’s ovaries for IVF treatment could increase the risk of genetic birth defects, experts warn.

The alert aired at Monday’s opening of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual conference in Stockholm, stems from a UK study of 34 couples undergoing fertility treatment.

As The Telegraph reports, the group of women, with an average age of 40, were given high doses of a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to “drive” their ovaries into producing large numbers of eggs to harvest for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) – a process traditionally thought to raise the chances of a viable pregnancy.

Not necessarily so, according to new research led by the London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre which suggests playing this “numbers game” might damage the eggs themselves, causing large-scale genetic faults known as chromosomal abnormalities.

The BBC notes that while the conference heard more work was needed to confirm the scientists’ suspicions, their research linked the high-intensity IVF approach to an increased risk of older women having babies with Down’s syndrome and other genetic conditions.

It is already widely accepted that the chance of having a baby with a genetic birth defect increases with the age of the mother, particularly for those over 35.

According to the Daily Mail, the number of older women trying to become pregnant has soared over the past five years, indicating that rising numbers are delaying motherhood and turning to IVF as their fertility declines.

Meanwhile, The Scotsman reports that UK couples desperate for a baby are being forced abroad due to a shortage of sperm and egg donors, with the most popular fertility treatment destinations listed as Spain and the Czech Republic, followed by the US.