IVF Children The First Generation: Assisted Reproduction and Child Development

In the last decade alone, advances in assisted reproduction have increased dramatically. The miracle of babies born through in vitro fertilization no longer seems so miraculous. However, information about the continued emotional and physical development of IVF children is hard to find, and once found, can be difficult to interpret. IVF Children: The First Generation: Assisted Reproduction and Child Development comprehensively reviews the current knowledge about the physical and mental outcomes of children conceived through IVF techniques. The author examines all of the studies relevant to the development and well being of IVF children and discusses the results and implications of these studies from every angle. More importantly for the busy staff of fertility clinics, Dr. Sutcliffe explores how to interpret what is known from these studies to qualify the studies' validity and use their results. In contrast to many other books devoted to techniques involved in ART, this book addresses what is known about the ultimate outcome of the children born after employing the various ART methods for conception. The author draws together the available data and provides an in-depth analysis of the results. He expertly blends scientific theory and clinical outcomes to provide a handbook also useful for counselling families. IVF Children: The First Generation: Assisted Reproduction and Child Development provides guidance to professionals and parents/prospective parents alike in selecting the fertility treatment that best meets their needs. About the author: Dr. Alastair Sutcliffe is an academic pediatrician with clinical practice in the Royal Free Hospital Campus of University College London and was awarded his Doctorate in 2000. He was the first person to study children who were cryopreserved as embryos and for the past five years, has been studying a group of ICSI conceived children throughout the UK. These children are currently being assessed in the biggest developmental study in the field. His work is now recognized worldwide as having made an important contribution to assessing outcomes of new types of in vitro fertilization.