Fertility treatments are widely thought of as a great scientific breakthrough. And rightly so, now thousands of couples who were not previously able to conceive can have children thanks to this technology. Unfortunately, though, there now seems to have evidence that suggests fertility treatments could be linked to a greater risk of the child developing asthma.
A new study, from researchers at the University of Oxford, found that children who were born to parents who were given fertility treatment were more likely to develop asthma and wheezing by age five, than children from parents who did not receive treatments. The researchers did not suggest that it was the treatment that caused the asthma, but instead suggested that there is a link between fertility treatment and the child developing asthma. More research is needed to fully understand that link.
The authors of the study used data from a larger study called the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to perform their research. The MCS looked at over 18,000 children. The research began at the age of nine months, with regular check-ups when the children were three, five and seven years old. The results were quite clear.
Across the whole of the population, around 15 percent of children will have asthma between ages five and seven. When looking at children who have parents who used fertility treatments that number rises to 24 percent. In that group, boys had a slightly higher likelihood of having asthma than girls.
It’s important to note that asthma is well known to be a very manageable condition, and doctors know a lot about it and how to treat it correctly. If you’re worried that your child may have asthma, book an appointment with your doctor to discuss the issue. And in the meantime, ensure that they are kept away from triggers such as smoke, dust and other allergens.
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