ATLANTA - A new government report shows that fertility procedures are quickly becoming more popular in the United States, and health officials are worried about the risks they carry for both mothers and children. <br>
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that the number of procedures increased by 27 percent in just two years, from 64,724 performed in 1996 to 81,899 in 1998. <br>
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The report was the CDC's first comprehensive examination of assisted reproductive technology, or ART -- procedures like in vitro fertilization where both egg and sperm are handled outside the body. <br>
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CDC doctors declined to say why the procedures are growing so quickly, but nongovernment experts attributed it to older couples trying to have children and an overall population more confident in fertility technology. <br>
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Still, the CDC warned assisted fertility carries significant risks: The nearly 82,000 procedures in 1998 led to only about 20,000 live births. When the mothers did deliver babies, they were multiple births 56 percent of the time. <br>
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The women who produce those babies -- twins, triplets and higher orders -- are at significantly higher risk for pregnancy complications, and the babies themselves are at risk for low birthweight and long-term disability. <br>
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Multiple births happen only about three percent of the time for women who become pregnant naturally.
