In the realm of reproductive medicine, few advancements have affected the landscape of fertility treatments as profoundly as in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Although IVF has a relatively short history, with the first baby born from IVF turning 46 this year, millions of babies worldwide have since been born using this technique.
However, there are many myths and misconceptions that surround this life-changing technique.
Here are five common ones:
A common misconception is that IVF frequently results in multiple pregnancies.
However, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Datuk Dr Colin Lee clarifies that the average number of embryos transferred in IVF procedures is minimal.
“The average number of embryos that we put in is 1.08, not even 1.1.
“So it’s almost exclusively a single embryo transfer,” he says.
While single embryo transfers are the norm, there is still a slight chance of “twinning”.
This is when an embryo naturally splits into two, resulting in identical twins.
“Out of every 100 patients that we put in a single embryo, about only four will end up with identical twins.
“This phenomenon happens in approximately one in 27 cases, or nearly 4%,” he explains.
Despite low occurrence of twinning, Dr Lee does point out the risks associated with twin pregnancies, such as higher chances of miscarriage and complications.
To mitigate these risks, he notes that: “The way to go nowadays is to optimise the embryo that is going to be transferred inside.”
Thus, the focus is on ensuring the quality of the single embryo to be transferred, thereby reducing the likelihood of multiple pregnancies, while also enhancing the overall success rate of IVF.
Another widely-held misconception is that undergoing IVF increases the likelihood of having babies with genetic abnormalities.
Monash University embryologist Emeritus Professor Dr Alan Trounson says: “it is unusual in highly-optimised clinical situations that you get any form of abnormalities due to the processes.”
Furthermore, it is possible to select against chromosomal abnormalities through pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT).
Dr Lee notes that when PGT is added to the standard IVF procedure, the rate of genetic abnormalities in the pregnancies conceived is actually lower than those who conceive naturally.
This is as PGT can identify embryos that are chromosomally normal and free from known genetic disorders.
“Nowadays, we can confidently say that we transfer embryos that do not have those chromosomal or genetic defects,” he says.
ALSO READ: Ensuring a healthy embryo by ruling out genetic diseases
Contrary to popular belief, the drugs administered during IVF do not increase the risk of cancer.
These injections are commonly given to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, trigger ovulation, and prepare the lining of the uterus for embryo implantation.
Dr Lee assures that a woman can do numerous cycles of IVF, with multiple injections, without increasing their risk of breast, ovarian or uterine cancer.
“Not many patients do more than two or three cycles of IVF, but we have seen 15 cycles with no increase in the incidence of cancer,” he says.
Extensive research to date has not found any association between IVF treatment and the risk of cancer.
However, It should be noted that due to the brief history of IVF, the first generation of women who underwent the procedure are only now reaching the average age at which cancer is typically diagnosed.
According to Emeritus Prof Trounson, who pioneered the IVF fertility drug protocol and human embryo freezing, the long-standing myth that children born through IVF inherit infertility issues is inaccurate.
“So far, there’s no evidence that children conceived by IVF are infertile, but there is a lot of criticism and sporadic reports,” he notes.
“The reports to me are not concerning, but I think they’re valid to report and it does open the question about whether we could do it better.”
While it is theoretically possible for children born through IVF to face infertility, the correlation isn’t absolute.
Infertility can stem from various factors beyond being conceived through IVF, including environmental influences, lifestyle choices and unrelated medical conditions.
Emeritus Prof Trounson also highlights the variability in IVF clinic performance around the world as a potential contributing factor.
“Not all IVF clinics are the same.
“There are very high performing clinics, and then there’s a raft of low performing clinics.
“They’re still coming up to standard and they don’t produce the same success rates,” he explains.
Many patients fear that the process of extracting mature eggs from the woman’s ovaries, known as ovum pick-up, is painful.
However, Dr Lee shares that this procedure is performed under sedation in the presence of an anaesthetist.
It is “generally a painless process”, he says.
Advancements in IVF procedures and techniques, such as embryo transfer or fertility injections, ensure that patients experience minimal discomfort or pain throughout the IVF process.
“Now the entire IVF experience is a lot more patient-friendly and most patients do not experience pain,” he says.
Embryo freezing also allows for the transfer of the embryo from the lab to the womb to be done later.
This gives patients adequate time to rest for one to two menstrual cycles before proceeding with the implantation.
This rest period can help reduce discomfort and allow any swelling or bloating from the egg retrieval process to subside.
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