Selasa, 24 April 2012

Fertility drugs 'more than double the chances of children developing leukaemia'

Fertility drugs 'more than double the chances of children developing leukaemia'

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 18:25 EST, 23 April 2012 | UPDATED: 01:10 EST, 24 April 2012


Risk: A study has found that fertility drugs can more than double the chances of children born to mothers who struggle to get pregnant developing leukaemia (posed by model)

Risk: A study has found that fertility drugs can more than double the chances of children born to mothers who struggle to get pregnant developing leukaemia (posed by model)

Fertility drugs can more than double the chances of children born to mothers who struggle to get pregnant developing leukaemia, a study has shown.

Children were 2.6 times more likely to become ill with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood leukaemia, if their mothers had been treated with ovary-stimulating drugs.

They had a 2.3-fold increased risk of suffering the rarer form of the disease, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Children conceived naturally after their mothers waited more than a year to get pregnant had a 50 per cent greater-than-normal likelihood of developing ALL.

But no heightened risk of childhood leukaemia was associated either with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or artificial insemination.

The French scientists cannot yet fully explain their findings, the first to show a specific link between use of fertility drugs and childhood leukaemia.

Study leader Dr Jeremie Rudant, from the Centre for R esearch in Epidemiology and Population Health at the French research institute INSERM in Villejuif, Paris, said: 'It has always been hypothesised that assisted reproductive technologies may be involved in the onset of childhood cancer as they involve repeated treatment at the time of conception and or manipulation of the sperm and egg. And it is now established that a majority of acute leukaemia have a pre-natal (pre-birth) origin.

'The findings indicate that more research is now needed to investigate more closely the link between specific types of fertility drugs and what role the underlying causes of infertility may play in the potential development of childhood leukaemia.'

Dr Rudant presented the results at the Childhood Cancer 2012 conference in London, hosted by the charity Children with Cancer UK.

A total of 2,445 French children and their mothers took part in the study, comprising 764 children who had been diagnosed with leukaemia and 1,681 who were free of the disease.

No risk: The study found that in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or artificial insemination offered no risk of developing leukaemia

No risk: The study found that in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or artificial insemination offered no risk of developing leukaemia

Mothers were asked if they had taken more than a year to conceive a child, and questioned about the treatments they had received.

Around 44,000 cycles of fertility treatment are carried out each year in the UK.

Use of fertility technology is increasing worldwide. In the UK, 1.8 per cent of all live births in 2007 followed fertility treatment, compared with just 0.5 per cent in 1992.

Despite a significant increase in risk, the actual number of children developing leukaemia after their mothers undergo fertility treatment remains very small.

Just 400 cases of childhood leukaemia are diagnosed each year in the UK, three-quarters of which are ALL.

ALL can affect children of any age but is most common between the ages of one and four. It is also more likely to affect boys than girls.

Dr Rudant said: 'Previous studies have suggested a link between infertility treatments and acute childhood leukaemia but there haven't been many studies, most of them have been small and they focused either on IVF or hormonal treatment. Our study was much larger and it's the first time that a specific increased risk linked to fertility drugs has been found.'

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Why re arrow AnnaMaria, Aspartame is deadly stuff, why on earth it is allowed to be goods amazes me. Sadly too, findings of 'assisted' pregnancy ills will show, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Only take drugs when absolutely necessary. The drug that stopped miscarriage, stibestrol, causes cancers in the resulting babies. Thalidomide created horrendous problems.

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Children conceived naturally are much healthier. We're weakening the gene pool by forcing babies out of infertile parents. Doctors are now concerned about the fertility problems the children of infertile parents will face. Albeit with the best of intentions, parents could unwittingly be creating horrible problems for all their descendants.

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There you go - don't do drugs.

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As a mum of triplets conceived after clomid treatment, I do wish the DM would post a full story and name the "specific" drugs they mention in the article. If they're "specific" why did the reporter not name them?! Some of us would like to be informed properly, not half stories please.

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About time we stopped playing god and gave a loving home to some poor kid that has previously been neglected. I want, I will have.. Nature will fight back, you mark my words.

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I wonder if AnnaMaria, Chicago, USA would interfere with nature if her sight was poor and she needed a pair of spectacles? Would she interfere with nature if she had a deep vein thrombosis? Would she let nature take its course if she had cancer? Hmmmm, I wonder?

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No surprise...interfering with nature is bound to cause unintended consequences. Add to this the birth control pill, the morning after pill, NutraSweet (Aspartame) added to the majority of diet soft drinks, gum, and many foods. What about pumping our babies with soy milk formula?

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This is very worrying.

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