Safety of assisted reproduction, assessed by risk of abnormalities in children born after use of in vitro fertilization techniques

Despite being used in practice for around 30 years, the safety of assisted reproductive technologies is still questioned. Studies are hampered by issues related to trial design and consistency of reporting. Some long-term data are, however, now available for offspring conceived after assistance by a variety of technologies. This Review aims to summarize the reported risks. Assisted reproductive technologies are increasingly used in the treatment of both male and female infertility. The techniques, including in vitro fertilization, with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection as an adjunctive treatment, represent a tremendous step forward for infertile couples who previously had no treatment options. As we move towards the 30th anniversary of the birth of the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilization, questions about the safety of these procedures linger. We review here the available literature regarding the safety of assisted reproductive technologies; these data are made far more robust by the inclusion of long-term follow-up data from the first generation of children arising after the introduction of these technologies.