22 Aug 2025 • A study of 2.2 million parent–child triads, including 41,113 pediatric cardiovascular cases, found that IVF conception significantly increased congenital heart defect (CHD) risk.

Compared with fertile parents, IVF was linked to a 1.72-fold higher risk (OR 1.72; +445.7 cases/100,000 person-years) and a 1.47-fold higher risk versus subfertile parents (OR 1.47; +375.1 cases/100,000). Subfertility alone modestly raised risk (OR 1.19).

Multiple gestations explained up to 54% of the IVF–CHD link. Findings stress minimizing multiple gestations and ensuring fetal echocardiography surveillance in IVF pregnancies.

Source: Oxford Academic | Read Full Story