Discusses the problems appearing in IVF babies and ways to reduce
Test-tube time bomb ’Birth defects and genetic problems in IVF children are causing concern. Just a statistical blip, or is there something wrong with the process?’

A not so immaculate conception ’Debate over birth defects in artificially conceived children is growing.’

These were the headlines in Australia’s leading daily broadsheets in February 2003. But the issue of birth defects in IVF children should hardly come as a surprise, for it seems that Nature in her infinite wisdom confers sub-optimal fertility on those couples not healthy enough to bear healthy children. So when underlying health problems in prospective parents are not addressed before IVF procedures are carried out, and the natural protective mechanisms are by-passed, the inevitable, unfortunate results ensue.

Of course lesbian women frequently turn to IVF procedures for reasons other than infertility. However it is still worth considering the issues that need to be addressed to optimise the health of the prospective mother (and in an ideal situation, the health of the prospective father) to ensure a truly healthy baby, whether the pregnancy is to be achieved by high or low-tech means.

The idea of providing optimal conditions for conception is hardly a new one. The Ancient Greeks and Romans banned young women and newlyweds from drinking alcohol. Many tribal societies feed special diets to young women and men of childbearing age. And long practiced by farmers, veterinarians and stockbreeders, preconception health care, practised by both prospective parents, is now well recognised as the best way to improve fertility, prevent miscarriage, premature or stillbirth and to foster optimal physical and mental health in the baby. In fact many experts now consider the four month period immediately preceding the union of sperm and egg as the most critical stage in the whole reproductive process.

Factors such as nutritional, environmental, emotional and lifestyle issues must all be taken into consideration, along with the treatment of any chronic conditions or hidden infections, with both partners equally involved in the preparation. Ideally practised for a minimum period of 4 months before conception, this approach means a nutritious wholefood diet, no smoking, no caffeine or alcohol, a clean environment, a regular exercise program, reduced stress levels and a comprehensive, balanced program of vitamin and mineral supplementation.

But along with attending to all those diet, lifestyle and environmental issues, mums-to-be taking a low-tech approach to getting pregnant, might like to know that simply having an orgasm at each baby-making attempt also means an improved chance of conceiving. Orgasm increases the blood-flow to the reproductive organs helping them to function better and the contractions that accompany orgasm help carry sperm further into the cervix. And just as nutritional supplements can support all your other preconception efforts, there are also specific products such as feminine pleasure gels that can increase the ease with which you achieve orgasm.

And finally, if it’s an infertility issue that’s leading you towards IVF for the answer, be assured that the success rate with the simple, natural approach of preconception health care is significantly better than that of any IVF program. Studies carried out by UK-based Foresight (The Association for the Promotion of Preconceptual Care) and Surrey University demonstrate an 80 percent success rate in couples with infertility of up to 10 years duration.

About the Author

Janette Roberts is a pharmacist and clinical nutritionist with a specific interest in preconception health care. She is co-author of the internationally acclaimed “Healthy Parents, Better Babies” and its three sequels.