Gefahren und Risiken der Reproduktionsmedizin

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is now routinely performed worldwide to help many motivated couples give birth to healthy infants. A broad spectrum of techniques has become available, and most procedures are considered to be safe. The use of newer techniques may bring new hazards, especially those requiring more biologic manipulation than artificial insemination and other, older ART methods. Patients must be counselled about the possible risks of ART procedures. Vaginal and abdominal bleeding, infectious complications and injury of pelvic structures after oocyte retrieval are rare. Severe to very severe pain is expected in about 3% of patients. There is no evidence of a higher risk of malignancies or benign gynaecological diseases after hormonal stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The risk of thrombotic complications in young and healthy women is also quite rare. The safety aspect of assisted reproduction at the epigenetic level has not been well studied, especially after in vitro maturation (IVM). More clinical experience with pregnancies and birth is necessary to address this question.