Fécondation in vitro : quel impact sur la santé à moyen et long terme des enfants conçus

Among the medical, scientific and ethical questions raised by in vitro fertilization (IVF), those concerning the medium and long-term health of children and young adults thus conceived are essential. Forty-five years after the birth of the first child and while more than 8 million people in the world have been conceived by IVF, the National Academy of Medicine has devoted a report to this theme, mainly analysing the results of numerous international studies. The published results are rather reassuring but they are not always consistent and many uncertainties remain. The Academy of Medicine calls for further epidemiological and clinical studies in better characterized populations and at later ages of life. The Academy also recommends developing basic research to better explain the potential effects of IVF.