We pressed on with IVF for years in the belief that it did not cause long term harm. In retrospect, I wonder if this was a bit naive. As the BMJ editorial (2011;342:d436) explains, maternal mortality in the UK, US and various other developed countries has been increasing over the last 20 years, and IVF is certainly a factor in it.
Much of the problem is multiple pregnancy, of course. Not only is it bad for mums, it’s bad for babies too. There have been 4 deaths due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in the UK between 2002 and 2005. Women going for IVF tend to be more healthy than the general public, but of course the increasing numbers of older women going for IVF will be at a higher risk of problems. Ovum donation increases your risk of pre-eclampsia too.
Ovarian hyperstimulation isn’t just a side effect. It can happen because centres are reluctant to abandon a cycle, whether due to financial pressures or concerns about league table performance or inadequate monitoring. I would support the call for it to be notifiable.