Fertility problems experienced by a woman who turned out to have a big impact on the health of children who would be born. These effects are particularly at risk of cancer.
In general, the risk of cancer in childhood or young adulthood five times higher than children born to mothers who do not have problems with fertility.
For leukemia in childhood, the risk will rise 30 percent, while the risk of endocrine cancer in young adults aged approximately 2.7 times higher.
According to research analyzed data on more than 2.8 million children born in Denmark between the years 1964-2006. Approximately 125.844 (4.4 percent) of the children born to mothers who previously had fertility problems alias difficult pregnancy.
According to the data, about 10-15 percent of couples in Western countries have fertility problems and 3.5 million children were born thanks to fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Denmark is the country in Europe which has the largest number of babies born through fertility treatment.
Cancer risk faced by such children is 18 percent higher for cancer in childhood and 22 percent higher for cancers in young adulthood.
"We found that infants born to mothers who previously difficult pregnancy have a greater risk of cancer. Especially leukemia and endocrine cancers," the researchers wrote in the International Journal of Cancer.
The researchers explained, impaired fertility in women or fertility treatments associated with cancer because epigenetic mechanisms. This means a change in gene function.
Children born from IVF programs are also known to have high levels of mold gene disorders, such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, which can cause holes in the stomach or learning disorders.
Lead author Marie Hargreave of Danish cancer research center, said the results of this study indicate a problem more widespread genetic mechanism in fertility treatment.
Even so, it remains unknown whether the increased risk of cancer from the drugs used in fertility treatment or is derived from fertility problems themselves.
