Getting pregnant is perhaps the happiest moment in a woman's life. Not only because pregnancy offers the way for giving a new life to this world but also because the condition is symbolic as the fulfillment of every woman's dream of becoming a mother. As a result, pregnancy is awaited with expectation and a pregnant woman is considered very beautiful. However, these joys are only for those who have the ability to conceive naturally. For others who can't, they turn to science as a way of attaining what nature has bestowed on other women. As a result, assisted reproductive techniques are common today, and the number of women who avail of such procedures are on the rise.

What Are Assisted Reproductive Techniques?

Assisted reproductive techniques refer to procedures where pregnancy is achieved through artificial or partially artificial means of conception. Assisted reproductive techniques are used for various reasons. Sometimes the process is used for genetic reasons. This is when couples want to be selective on the character traits they would like their offspring to inherit. However, assisted reproductive techniques are most commonly used in conditions when there is risk that a woman may contact communicable diseases if the pregnancy was achieved the natural way.

How Are Reproductive Assisted Techniques Achieved?

There are two ways through which assisted reproductive techniques are employed-either through medication or through the more popular in-vitro fertilization.

a) Through medication. Here, a woman is to regularly take certain medications to help her enhance the development of follicles in her ovary. However, the taking of such medication must be religiously monitored to avoid incurring risks to a woman's health.
b) In vitro fertilization. In this procedure, the fertilization is achieved by letting the sperm and egg merge outside of the female's body. This procedure is a delicate one done only in competent laboratories to ensure success of the process.

What Are the Risks to a Woman's Health When Using Assisted Reproductive Techniques?

Being different from the natural means of conception, assisted reproductive techniques pose risks that women must deal with.

a) One of these common problems is that the child may have certain genetic disorders. Because of the prevalence of DNA damage that offspring may suffer from, the use of in vitro fertilization is strictly regulated.

1) Preterm birth. This condition can lead to a lot of other problems such as impairment of vision and cerebral palsy. In one study, children who are born through in-vitro fertilization are twice as likely to suffer from cerebral palsy than those born the natural way.
2) Low birth weight. This condition can trigger very low protein metabolism. As a result, children born through this process tend to be very small and very low in weight.
3) Another thing that women have to contend with when using assisted reproductive techniques is the strength of the emotional bond between mother and child. According to some studies, children who were born through assisted reproductive techniques often have very weak bonds with their mothers than those who were conceived naturally.