Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Are we ignoring potential dangers of in vitro fertilization and related treatments?

Nature Medicine volume 8, pages S14–S18 (2002)Cite this article

By conventional assessments, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the safest medical treatments. But producing new life brings immense responsibilities. Recently, there have been disquieting reports of foetal abnormality after these treatments and here we evaluate the potential risks associated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), embryo freezing and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. In our opinion, before translating new techniques into practice, more research, particularly in animals, is desirable. In addition, better child follow-up and a fresh approach to regulation are also needed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Egg retrieval, IVF, embryo culture and transfer.
Figure 2: Techniques used in assisted reproduction.

References

  1. Hansen, M., Kurinczuk, J.J., Bower, C. & Webb, S. New Engl. J. Med. 346, 725–730 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. MRC Working Party on Children Conceived by In Vitro Fertilisation. Br. Med. J. 300, 1229–1233 (1990).

  3. French national registry, analysis of data 1986 to 1990. FIVNAT (French In Vitro National) Fertil. Steril. 64, 746–756 (1995).

  4. Saunders, D.M. & Lancaster, P. Am. J. Perinatol. 6, 252–257 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Friedler, S., Mashiach, S. & Laufer, N. National Registry of the Israeli Association for Fertility Research. Hum. Reprod. 7, 1159–1163 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Doyle, P., Beral, V. & Maconochie, N. Hum. Reprod. 7, 425–428 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Verlaenen, H., Cammu, H., Derde, M.P. & Amy, J.J. Obstet. Gynecol. 86, 906–910 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bergh, T. et al. Lancet 354, 1579–1585 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. McKiernan, S.H. & Bavister, B.D. Hum. Reprod. 13, 724–729 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Van der Auwera, I. & D'Hooghe, T. Hum. Reprod. 16, 1237–1243 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hardy, K. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 1655–1660 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Handyside, A. & Delhanty, J. Trends Genet. 13, 270–275 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hardy, K. et al. Hum. Reprod. 10, 2125–2135 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Olivennes, F. et al. Hum. Reprod. 8, 1297–300 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hassold, T. & Hunt, P. Nature Rev. Genet. 2, 280–291 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gardner, D. et al. Fertil. Steril. 69, 84–88 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kwong, W.Y. et al. Development 127, 4195–4202 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ho, Y., Wigglesworth, K., Eppig, J.J. & Schultz, R.M. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 41, 232–238 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Niemann, H. & Wrenzycki, C. Theriogenology 53, 21–34 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Doherty, A.S. et al. Biol. Reprod. 62, 1526–1535 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Khosla, S., Dean, W., Reik, W. & Feil, R. Hum. Reprod. Update 7, 419–427 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Munné, S., Weier, H.U., Grifo, J. & Cohen, J. Biol. Reprod. 51, 373–379 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wada, I. et al. Hum. Reprod. 9, 543–546 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bouquet, M., Selva, J. & Auroux, M. Biol. Reprod. 49, 764–769 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Emiliani, S. et al. Hum. Reprod. 15, 905–910 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Honda, S., Weigel, A., Hjelmeland, L.M. & Handa, J.T. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 282, 493–498 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Dulioust, E. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 92, 589–593 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Van Steirteghem, A. et al. Hum. Reprod. 13, S134–S142 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kurinczuk, J.J. & Bower, C. Br. Med. J. 315, 1260–1266 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Bonduelle, M. et al. Hum. Reprod. 11, S131–S159 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Mroz, K., Hassold, T.J. & Hunt, P.A. Hum. Reprod. 14, 1151–1156 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Dumoulin, J.C. et al. Hum. Reprod. 15, 402–409 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Dumoulin, J.M. et al. Hum. Reprod. 16, 306–312 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Hewitson, L., Simerly, C., Dominko, T. & Schatten, G. Theriogenology 53, 95–104 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Bonduelle, M. et al. Hum. Reprod. 17, 671–694 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Handyside, A.H., Kontogianni, E.H., Hardy, K. & Winston, R.M. Nature 344, 768–770 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Van Blerkom, J., Sinclair, J. & Davis, P. Hum. Reprod. 13, 2857–2868 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Cohen, J. et al. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 4, 269–280 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Barritt, J., Willadsen, S., Brenner, C. & Cohen, J. Hum. Reprod. Update 7, 428–435 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Cummins, J.M. Hum. Reprod. Update 7, 217–228 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Schieve, L.A. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 346, 731–737 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Barker, D.J. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 262, 37–43 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Reproductive Science and Medicine, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, The Wolfson and Weston Research Centre for Family Health, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK

    Robert M.L. Winston & Kate Hardy

Authors
  1. Robert M.L. Winston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kate Hardy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Robert M.L. Winston or Kate Hardy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Winston, R., Hardy, K. Are we ignoring potential dangers of in vitro fertilization and related treatments?. Nat Med 8 (Suppl 10), S14–S18 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm-fertilityS14

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm-fertilityS14

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing