A study recent conducted in Australia has looked at the incidence of birth defects in children conceived with help from fertility technologies available. The study compared regular childbirth statistics and those of couples who chose In vitro Fertilization (IVF) and those who chose intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

IVF is the combining of sperm with the egg in a neutral site such as a Petri dish. The ICSI process involves direct injection of the sperm into the egg. The findings were that statistically the ICSI procedure shows a higher incidence of birth defects than IVF and regular child birth. IVF was at first thought to increase birth defect risks but researchers concluded this was not the case after adjusting for parental factors like medical history and habits including smoking.

The use of new technologies to help couples wanting to have children needs to be thoroughly explained if these types of risks are involved. There are many causes of birth defects that could be avoided such as taking the wrong prescription medications while pregnant. Our St. Louis personal injury attorneys are experienced with cases involving these types of medical malpractice. If you suspect that an injury to your child may have been caused by improper advice visit our website to learn what steps you should take.