Research now says that mothers who have IVF are almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy than those who conceive naturally.Melinda Messenger, the television presenter, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the singer, both had emergency surgery after pre-eclampsia diagnoses. They both delivered healthy sons, but many families are not so fortunate: pre-eclampsia claims the lives of up to 1,000 babies and ten mothers a year.
There were 42 per cent more cases in women who had conceived using IVF, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's annual conference heard.
Researchers could not be certain why, but said the process of growing the embryo in the lab first might cause 'subtle changes' in the development of the placenta. The placenta is the organ which provides a baby with oxygen and nourishment as it grows in the womb.
Problems with the placenta can trigger further abnormalities in the mother's body during pregnancy, then the baby's, leading to pre-eclampsia.
Charles Kingsland, of the British Fertility Society, said age could also be a factor in the development of the condition. He said that women who have IVF are often older than those who conceive naturally and may already have medical problems which increase their risk of developing it.
He urged women having IVF not to worry but added: 'We need to be aware that in this group of patients, who may be older, who may have difficulty in getting pregnant, that it doesn’t follow that just because you have got pregnant that everything else is going to be easy.'
