Comments on: Here’s the study on IVF and Stillbirths http://www.ruthblog.org/2010/03/03/heres-the-study-on-ivf-and-stillbirths/ An intellectual climate favorable to marriage Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:17:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Beth http://www.ruthblog.org/2010/03/03/heres-the-study-on-ivf-and-stillbirths/#comment-1219 Beth Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:14:51 +0000 http://www.ruthblog.org/?p=1713#comment-1219 It's also important to look at the numbers here. The risk of stillbirth is very small. Multiply that by 4 and you still get a very small number. They also have not proven causation, only correlation in this study. The doctor quoted here has a very jaded view of IVF, believing that many women undergoing it have put off childbearing for whatever reason. The fact is that most of the women who use IVF are under 40 and are facing medical issues like blocked tubes, endometriosis, or their partners have problematic sperm. Think about sickle cell anemia. The blood cells themselves can do their job, but they are the wrong shape to do that effectively. This is the same problem that sperm can have - it is the wrong shape to penetrate an egg but the DNA contained within is still fine. We do not question the treatment of sickle cell anemia, but do question ICSI (where the sperm is injected directly into the egg to overcome the shape problem). Infertility is treatable and it is a medical problem for those in their 20s and 30s as well. It’s also important to look at the numbers here. The risk of stillbirth is very small. Multiply that by 4 and you still get a very small number.

They also have not proven causation, only correlation in this study.

The doctor quoted here has a very jaded view of IVF, believing that many women undergoing it have put off childbearing for whatever reason. The fact is that most of the women who use IVF are under 40 and are facing medical issues like blocked tubes, endometriosis, or their partners have problematic sperm.

Think about sickle cell anemia. The blood cells themselves can do their job, but they are the wrong shape to do that effectively. This is the same problem that sperm can have – it is the wrong shape to penetrate an egg but the DNA contained within is still fine. We do not question the treatment of sickle cell anemia, but do question ICSI (where the sperm is injected directly into the egg to overcome the shape problem).

Infertility is treatable and it is a medical problem for those in their 20s and 30s as well.

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