title: Assisted reproductive technologies and birth defects.
abstract: In vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are effective treatments for infertility and are widely provided at infertility clinics. Although IVF and related ART procedures are generally considered safe, some studies have suggested an excess occurrence of major malformations, low birth-weight and other perinatal complications in babies conceived by ART. Further, it was recently reported that IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are associated with imprinting disorders in the offspring such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Angelman syndrome. Here we review the human and animal studies investigating the potential risks of ART, and discuss the need for further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. shiota@anat1.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Shigehito
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001506:Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects; D047109:Fetal Development; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006801:Humans; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000009:adverse effects