By  SOLA OGUNDIPE

Are there major biological differences between children conceived through  In Vitro-Fertilisation, IVF,  and children conceived normally? Are there significant birth defect risks people need to be aware of and understand better when considering IVF  as a pregnancy option for infertility treatment?

These are pertinent questions making the rounds all over the world today, even as Louise Brown, the first baby ever to be successfully conceived through IVF, turns 35 this year.

As more babies born through IVF are now reaching their mid-30s,  medical and scientific experts have begun investigating more significant issues concerning IVF children and probing what the lasting legacy of IVF might be,.
The question is whether IVF makes children more vulnerable to certain cognitive, social, health or other developmental issues is more real now than ever.

Five million babies
To date, no less than five million babies have been conceived via IVF and the euphoria generated by the process of acheiving fertilisation in the laboratory continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
But even though IVF has not only revolutionised infertility treatment, and forever rewritten some of the basic tenets of human reproduction, in countries such as Nigeria, where the number of childrern conceived through IVF is increasing  each day and  thousands of couples with the challenge of infertility are becoming happy parents, growing concerns continue to be raised regarding the long-term  effects and implications of IVF children.

It is widely believed that research may just be documenting some of the lasting effects the procedure  may be having on early development.
While these concerns rage, two Nigerian fertility experts – Professor  Oladapo Ashiru, and Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, remain notable  among  experts who do not agree with the notion that IVF makes children more vulnerable to cognitive or  other developmental issues.

Ashiru, who is Medical Director, Medical ART Centre, Lagos,  explains that the main difference between normal conception and IVF conception is the environment in which fertilisation occurs.
“In the IVF conception, the egg is removed from the mother and mixed with the sperm in the laboratory dish or tube. Then the embryo is now placed into the mother’s womb two or three days after developing in the incubator in the laboratory. Basically the IVF baby stays in the womb for nine months less three days,” he explained.

Intelligence
Further, Ashiru says: ” IVF babies have grown to be very intelligent, normal and smart just as babies from normal conception. Also they both have a slight percentage chance of abnormalities. As to whether one has a greater chance or not is still very controversial.”

Ashiru is also unsure as to whether  IVF children more prone to developing childhood cancer. “I cannot categorically confirm this, the facts are not there enough to make such conclusion,” he noted.
“I truly do not have any concern about IVF babies. Those that can have issues are those with multiple conceptions such as twins, triplets or quadruplets. In these cases once they are exposed to good antenatal care they should be fine.

Normal babies
In his own view, Dr Abayomi Ajayi of Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, Abuja and Asaba, remarks that, scientifically, IVF babies are no more unusual than normally conceived babies.
“Some say there is nothing, some say they may inherit their parents’ infertility, of course that may not be far fetched because many causes of infertility are inherited. So it is possible for that one to happen.

Ajayi recalls that there are different things people say. “Some talk about their intelligence but nothing unusual has been found on that aspect; these are just anecdotal. As far these things go, IVF babies are normal babes.”
When it comes to any cognitive our developmental issue, it is difficult to say for certain that IVF babies are unusually different when compared to normal babies.

According to him: “From what I have seen, children conceived through IVF tend to be precocious. But this is not backed up with scientific fact. I haveseen at least 1,000 of these babies and there hasn’t been any fact to suggest a risk.Few may have skeletal abnormalities but these things come from the pregnancy. In summary,  certainly do not have any fears about babies born through IVF,” he remarked.