IVF could more than double the rate of cerebral palsy, according to research from Denmark. In an article in the journal Human Reproduction, epidemiologist Jin Lieang Zhu says that the association between IVF and the disorder is well-known. But it was not clear whether the real cause was the underlying infertility or IVF procedures. His research, based on 90,000 children born between 1997 and 2003, demonstrates that something about IVF itself must be the reason.

Dr Zhu stressed that the overall risk of IVF-related cerebral palsy was low – only 1 in 176 babies, compared to 1 in 400 for the British population as a whole. He also said that IVF techniques have improved considerably since 2003 – the last year covered in his study. ~ Eurekalert, Nov 2, London Telegraph, Nov 3