{"id":244288,"date":"2021-05-04T13:41:10","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T18:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=244288"},"modified":"2021-05-03T18:00:54","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T23:00:54","slug":"sad-confusing-ivf-physical-psychological-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/sad-confusing-ivf-physical-psychological-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"‘So sad and confusing’: IVF’s physical and psychological impact on children"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage \u2026 when everything goes according to the storybooks, that is. But as we know, life doesn’t always go according to this rhyme, a<\/span>nd sometimes people become desperate as they watch their dreams crumble before them.<\/span><\/p>\n

In those situations, perhaps the baby comes from the mixing of sperm and ovum in a test tube or petri dish, in which case he or she might wind up in all kinds of unusual places and situations. Such a child might be viewed as a \u201c<\/span>leftover<\/span><\/a>,\u201d forgotten by his or her parents once they have gotten their \u201ckeeper.\u201d Such a child could consequently wind up subjected to medical<\/span> experimentation<\/span><\/a>, or might even be kept frozen and in stasis<\/span> indefinitely<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She could be selected to be the prize in a<\/span> lottery<\/span><\/a>. She may find herself being haggled over like a used car, with a price that might be lowered if her parents<\/span> buy in bulk<\/span><\/a>. She may even come with a money-back<\/span> guarantee<\/span><\/a>, not unlike the deals offered in infomercials. Or perhaps she might wind up being<\/span> sold at a discount<\/span><\/a> on the internet and later worn as customized<\/span> jewelry<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0The dehumanizing language of the IVF industry<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

She might find herself in a womb other than her mother\u2019s, or she might be the product of a gametic<\/span> mixup<\/span><\/a>, born to people who are not her intended parents \u2014 people who may have to return her to her genetic progenitors. Or she might find herself the subject of<\/span> litigation<\/span><\/a> to determine whose \u201c<\/span>property<\/span><\/a>\u201d she is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a child may find herself the subject of genetic<\/span> tinkering<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 or she might be killed because she is \u201cundesirable\u201d due to her<\/span> sex<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> disability status<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> phenotypic traits<\/span><\/a>, or simply because she\u2019s one<\/span> too many<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, she is very likely to find herself on a trash heap, thrown out as medical waste. Or dead in the<\/span> petri dish<\/span><\/a>. Or dead in her mother\u2019s<\/span> womb<\/span><\/a>. She will be one of the very few, extremely lucky ones if she finds herself being carried to term \u2014 and even luckier if she is born.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

If she is chosen to complete her prenatal development, she faces unique challenges. IVF-conceived children have an<\/span> elevated risk<\/span><\/a> of low birth weight, premature delivery, hospital admission, perinatal mortality, and birth defects compared to naturally conceived children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These challenges do not end at birth. Research shows that those conceived via IVF are at-risk for higher<\/span> blood pressure<\/span><\/a> levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Girls<\/span><\/a> conceived via IVF often have advanced bone age and hormonal imbalances during puberty. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some<\/span> studies<\/span><\/a> show an increased risk of childhood illnesses for both boys and girls, and multiple studies have found an elevated risk of both cardiovascular problems and cerebral palsy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some<\/span> research<\/span><\/a> has also suggested an increase in the rate of autism spectrum disorders among children conceived via IVF, though more extensive investigation is warranted. <\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, IVF is associated with an increased risk of early-onset acute lymphoblastic<\/span> leukemia<\/span><\/a> in the children produced using this reproductive technology, who also face a moderately increased general risk of<\/span> cancer<\/span><\/a>, epigenetic disorders,<\/span> cognitive impairment<\/span><\/a>, and potentially,<\/span> infertility<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psychological and emotional issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the psychological and emotional impact. For example, how would <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> feel about being the IVF-conceived child of the husband and wife, aged<\/span> 80 and 74<\/span><\/a>, respectively, who will definitively leave the child an orphan at a very early age? How about<\/span> this child<\/span><\/a>, who was rejected because the parents discovered there had been a mixup at the lab? Or what about the child who owes his\/her existence to a<\/span> reality show<\/span><\/a> in which his\/her mother held a contest to select the father?<\/span><\/p>\n

These examples may be exceptional, but the confusion, disappointment, sadness, anger, and other conflicted emotions experienced by the children in those examples is not. Nor are the difficult family dynamics.<\/span> Anonymous Us<\/span><\/a> has countless personal stories reflecting the turmoil and heartache expressed by people conceived using IVF:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026\u00a0<\/span>over time<\/span><\/a> [unanswered questions about my conception] began to eat me alive. I couldn\u2019t stand it, I was just filled with anger all the time. That\u2019s all I really feel about my existence. Anger.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This man<\/span> found out<\/span><\/a> he was conceived via IVF with an egg donor when he was 16:<\/span><\/p>\n

Years and years later I still wonder and ponder, \u201cwho is my REAL Mother\u201d\u2026 My current Mother [never] even really cared to grow a bond with me\u2026 It makes sense why now. There is a massive disconnection due to IVF\u2026 I WILL give my children what I never had growing up and still am suffering with [sic]. Hurt. Wounds. Depression. Anxiety. And the \u201cunknown\u201d of my identity.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This young person<\/span> discovered<\/span><\/a> she had been IVF-conceived using both her father\u2019s sperm and a donor\u2019s \u2014 and that the donor was her biological father \u2014 when she was 18:<\/span><\/p>\n

This day turned out to be the worst day of my life\u2026 I didn\u2019t know who I was and I still don\u2019t\u2026 My life now consists of constant struggles and fears. I look in the mirror and don\u2019t know where I got my almond-shaped eyes, my pouty lower lip, my small ears\u2026 This is the hardest part: realizing I will never get my identity back.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This young<\/span> person<\/span><\/a> conceived via IVF with a sperm donor perhaps best sums up the recurring theme of these stories: \u201cIt\u2019s so sad and confusing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

For children who find out their existence began in a lab \u2014 that they have been processed, bought, sold, stored, and possibly very nearly disposed of \u2014 it very often <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> exactly that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A \u201csolution\u201d which generates this many severe new problems is not actually a solution at all. Every child deserves better.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike\u201d Live Action News on Facebook<\/a> for more pro-life news and commentary!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage \u2026 when everything goes according to the storybooks, that is. But as we know, life doesn’t always go according to this rhyme, and sometimes people become desperate as they watch their dreams crumble before them. In those situations, perhaps the baby […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":788,"featured_media":244448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n'So sad and confusing': IVF's physical and psychological impact on children<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One young person conceived via IVF with a sperm donor perhaps best sums up the recurring theme of these stories: \u201cIt\u2019s so sad and confusing.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/sad-confusing-ivf-physical-psychological-impact\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'So sad and confusing': IVF's 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