Children "from a test tube" today are not uncommon. Due to the increase in the number of in vitro fertilization, such babies are no longer surprising. IVF is sometimes the only way to overcome family infertility and become parents. However, even very loving and reverent mothers and fathers, as well as future parents who have yet to undergo IVF, face many myths and prejudices. If IVF babies are different from regular babies conceived naturally, you will find out by reading this article.
About conception
To understand what they are, IVF babies, you need to start from the very conception. With natural conception, the mother's egg meets the father's sperm in the wide part of the fallopian tube, and from there the fertilized egg enters the uterine cavity within 7-9 days after fertilization. With IVF, conception is carried out outside the mother's body. An egg taken from a woman is fertilized in the laboratory with the father's sperm. Then the embryo (and more often several embryos) is implanted into the uterine cavity, providing the expectant mother with accompanying hormonal therapy so that the conditions for the development of babies are close to the present, natural.
If the embryo takes root, the further course of pregnancy after IVF is not much different from the natural one, except that a more careful medical supervision is carried out for the woman. The risks of miscarriage, hormonal disorders, multiple pregnancy, premature birth and placental abnormalities are quite high.
The growth of a baby conceived in a test tube, and the pace of its development, completely coincide with the same parameters for the baby, which mom and dad conceived without the participation of doctors.
Many people think that IVF is against the laws of nature. If she did not foresee the possibility for a man or woman to reproduce their own kind, then (according to opponents of IVF), doctors have no right to interfere. There is practically nothing to oppose this opinion, except that the happy eyes of the spouses who become parents despite the diagnoses.
At birth, IVF children are no different from their peers, conceived naturally: neither in weight, nor height, nor size of body parts. These are the same kids who want parental love and affection, who rejoice in their mother's smile and father's hands. If conception occurs in the same way, but in different conditions, then where did the myths about “eco-friendly” babies come from?
The fact is that at all times humanity has tended to mystify everything new and obscure. IVF has existed for only 40 years, which on the scale of history is comparable to only a second. It is not surprising that children conceived in a test tube are considered miracles, anomalies, and even evil. It's just that too little time has passed to understand what people are, conceived against nature.
The first IVF was performed in 1978. A girl was born - an Englishwoman Lisa Brown. Now she is 40 years old, she received a good education, made a career, gave birth (conceiving naturally) children. She is no different from her peers, does not suffer from rare diseases, does not show any abnormal abilities.
In the USSR, the first IVF was done in Moscow, in 1986. Girl Elena Dontsova is also not much different from others. In total, at the beginning of 2018, there are more than five million people conceived in a test tube in the world.
Since the early 2000s, the state began to financially support the in vitro fertilization program. IVF was included in the list of services of insurance medicine, and now the procedure, according to indications, is available to everyone. That is why more and more children are born, who owe their birth to the work of reproductive doctors.
So, IVF is quite normal for modern society. Now let's move on to those myths that relate to children conceived in a test tube.
Religion and esotericism
Many religions are ambivalent about the IVF procedure. In Orthodoxy, for example, it is generally accepted that a baby's soul appears almost immediately, at the moment of the fusion of the egg and sperm. In vitro fertilization, in which the doctor chooses only the highest quality material from several fertilized eggs, is regarded by Orthodoxy as murder. The doctor, with the consent of the parents, according to the ROC, kills the nascent life.
Not so long ago, parents who had the imprudence to inform the priest that the child was conceived through IVF could have difficulties when baptizing the baby. The priests could have refused this. Now the attitude of the church has softened somewhat, and sometimes the priests themselves bless the couple for reproductive technologies. The Church still does not approve of surrogacy, the use of donor eggs and sperm, as well as the artificial selection of the strongest embryos from several living ones.
Islam has nothing against IVF, but requires his followers not to use the services of a surrogate mother, not to use donor biomaterial. In the IVF protocol, only the cells of the husband and wife should be used. Muslims believe that the soul comes and moves into a child only 4 months after fertilization, and therefore Islam does not condemn artificial selection and culling of embryos.
Jews believe that for reproduction any methods are good and justified. The attitude towards IVF is calm, balanced, surrogacy is also accepted and approved in certain cases. Buddhists always welcome all innovations, including in the reproductive sphere. It is possible to give life (in the understanding of the adherents of Buddhism) in any way, the main thing is that the parents love the baby, and he himself appears in this world desired and happy.
People who claim that children conceived in the IVF process do not have a soul, that they have a different aura, a different energy, are deeply mistaken. Some possessed were ready to declare a "witch hunt" at all times, and their "victims" are usually those who are somehow different from themselves. The only difference between “eco” babies is in the way they are conceived, and the aura and energy are unconvincing arguments of those who cannot think of anything else.
The babies who appeared after IVF are in no way biorobots, not androids, humanoid creatures not devoid of emotions and experiences. They are exactly the same children as everyone else, and therefore it is not worth mystifying their birth.
If there are religious or spiritual doubts, it is better to contact a clergyman, he will certainly help to dispel them.
Infertility
For a long time, it was believed that children born through reproductive technology were more likely to have problems conceiving in adulthood. You should not be afraid of infertility. The first "eco-friendly" children, who are now 30-40 years old, showed by their example that they can have offspring. Conception happens quite naturally.
The fact is that most couples have infertility, which is an indication for estracporeal fertilization, acquired. In other words, a man or woman has lost fertility under the influence of some diseases, negative influences, infections or injuries. They were born with normal reproductive potential.
The sperm and ovum carry genetic information that reflects basic characteristics. It is possible to assume that an IVF child will be infertile only if the spouses have a congenital genetic anomaly as the cause of infertility. Such anomalies are rare. In addition, the geneticist will definitely warn about them before IVF, and the procedure can be carried out using donor biomaterial.
So, children born after IVF can have offspring. Even if the infertility of one of the spouses is genetic, it is not at all necessary that the baby will inherit it. The same can be said about naturally conceived children: sons and daughters do not inherit all genetic abnormalities, and healthy parents do not always have a healthy child.
Are they sick more often and live less?
For some reason, it is believed that the long-term consequences of IVF for the child and his parents lie in the peculiarities of the baby's health. Opponents of reproductive health care unanimously assert the following: what is conceived against the will of God and nature cannot be healthy. IVF supporters assure that the preliminary selection of embryos for replanting is the factor that practically guarantees the birth of a healthy child, because abnormal embryos are simply “weeded out” at the initial stage.
You can argue endlessly. Most likely, the debate between the two sides will continue for more than a dozen years. It is worth referring to medical statistics. In childhood, "eco people" get sick on a par with their peers, conceived naturally. All typical "childhood" diseases are found in them. These are usually viral infections, ENT diseases, allergic diseases.
Congenital anomalies in IVF children are 45% less common than in naturally conceived children. This is the merit of pre-implantation selection.
It is not possible to create more detailed statistics. Research was conducted only in certain groups. It is impossible to conduct a large-scale study of the health of all five million people conceived in vitro.
As for the developmental features, babies born with the help of reproductive doctors are not much different from their peers. Psychologists practically do not disagree on this issue: there are no problems with emotional and mental development. If there are deviations, then they are found with the same frequency in ordinary children. After IVF, babies are more likely to be more developed, because they are always long-awaited and desired children, they are given more attention, they are not born by chance. This means that they are guaranteed attention and development in the family.
Life expectancy of "eco" babies is difficult to estimate. Too little time has passed, and the first such children are only 40 years old. They are alive and well, and time will tell what will happen next. The peculiarities of aging of such people, acquired "senile" diseases, the most common causes of death, are still unknown.
Is it someone else's from the donor cell?
This statement is true, but only half. For one of the spouses, this child will be related by blood and genes. It should be noted that the spouses are warned about the consequences of fertilization with the use of donor material in advance. Only they themselves can decide whether they are ready to raise a baby, only 50% of their blood relatives. It should be noted that this fact does not stop many.
The very medical recommendation to use donor material is quite rare. Most often, they try to use spouses' oocytes and sperm. Donation is offered to a woman only as a last resort: if she does not have ovaries, if she does not have her own eggs.
In a man, even with severe forms of infertility, sperm usually do not remain without a genetic set. They can lose mobility, be unviable, but the head of the sperm carries the most important thing - genetic material. If necessary, it is removed and injected into the egg. Donor sperm is needed only in 1% of cases.
Pregnancy and childbirth
During pregnancy with IVF, the risks of miscarriage are indeed slightly higher than in women who conceived on their own, but modern medicine may well cope with the task of preserving and prolonging the period of bearing crumbs.
To increase the likelihood of pregnancy, several embryos are injected into the uterine cavity during IVF. That is why, in 45% of cases, after successful IVF, parents receive not one baby, but two or three toddlers at once. We can say that the probability of multiple pregnancy is the only consequence associated with IVF itself.
"Eco" babies are often born prematurely. With multiple pregnancies, this is the absolute norm. In a single fetus pregnancy, delivery usually occurs between weeks 37 and 39.
Very often, childbirth takes place by cesarean section, so as not to risk the health of such a long-awaited baby.
Celebrity Children
If all of the above is not convincing and you want some more arguments and proofs, then you can try to find "10 differences" between ordinary children of your friends and children of celebrities conceived in a laboratory. Here is just a small list of mothers who have IVF and are raising such children:
- Julia Roberts - actress;
- Christina Orbakaite - singer and actress (IVF was with Mikhail Zemtsov);
- Alla Pugacheva - singer (ECO married to Maxim Galkin);
- Zhanna Friske - singer (ECO with Dmitry Shepelev);
- Julia Dzherbinova - actress (IVF married to Evgeny Dyatlov);
- Elena Borshcheva - actress, presenter, KVN-schitsa.
Feedback from parents
According to the reviews of parents who raise children after conception in a test tube, their babies are even slightly ahead of the calendar developmental norms. They learn to walk, talk faster, they are very curious. In adolescence, such children differ little from their peers, they are characterized by all the same experiences, throwing, and the period of formation.
The only question to which moms and dads of "eco-friendly" children still cannot find an answer is whether it is necessary to inform the child when he grows up about how he was conceived. Mothers are especially afraid of “benevolent” distant relatives and neighbors, who can “solely from good intentions” tell a little family secret to their grown up child.
It should be warned that a future mother who decides to ask her opinions about the possible features of IVF babies on the Internet will face a lot of unpleasant things. There will always be those who want to remind about sectarian versions of the absence of a soul, about unverified information about deformities and pathologies.
If a woman and a man have decided for themselves that they are ready for IVF, if the procedure was successful and the babies are already in the womb, if the babies are already born and growing up in a family, there is no need to look for differences from other children. Love and accept your children as they are.
Appreciate every minute spent together, because life is not so long, and the period of childhood is completely fleeting. How your child grows up depends not on the method of his conception, but on the upbringing and the love that you can give him.
For how children conceived with IVF differ from ordinary children, see the next video.
