New study finds IVF babies are more likely to develop cancer

Fertility treatments have become a miracle for some parents who were unable to conceive and reach their dreams of having children. But a new study has found that certain fertility treatments are associated with an increased risk for cancer in children.

Researchers monitored more than 200,000 babies born between 1991 and 2013, with a follow-up to the age of 18.

They found the rate of tumours was three times higher among children conceived using a fertility treatment compared to spontaneously-conceived kids.

This link stayed true after accounting for important factors, such as premature births or low birth weight.  

The Israeli study, published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, is not the first to investigate IVF and pediatric cancer risk. But this is the first to monitor children until they reach adulthood, the authors claim. 

Lead author Professor Eyal Sheiner admits that there were some limitations: their data does not include the reason for infertility that led to the parents using IVF, and it did not look at environmental exposures.

However, Prof Sheiner insists the study has a clear advantage in that IVF is covered by Israel's public health system, meaning their database covers a broad range of socioeconomic groups. 

'The research concludes that the association between IVF and total pediatric neoplasms and malignancies is significant,' Prof. Sheiner concluded.

'With increasing numbers of offspring conceived after fertility treatments, it is important to follow up on their health.'

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and republished here with permission.