Genetics, epigenetics and IVF babies

It has been known for some time that couples suffering from infertility, including those who get pregnant using assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF, are more likely to have complicated pregnancies.: more high blood pressure, diabetes, miscarriages, preterm births and likely birth defects as well. This is true even with singleton pregnancies. What is not so clear is why this is so. Is it the patient population? Women who have infertility tend to be older and have more medical and metabolic problems. Is it the fertility medications such as clomid and injectables? Is it something in the process of IVF or IUI that causes problems? Researchers at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles have received a large grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Development to help study the molecular events the underlie an early pregnancy after IVF. They will be looking at both genetics (the DNA in the chromosomes) and epigenetics (changes in gene expression that occur outside the chromosomes) to try to discover an explanation for these problems