Background:
Our child was born with Spina Bifida-myelomeningocele. The IVF doctor did not prescribe prenatals to our egg donor(ED) or gestational carrier (GC) nor did he verify via bloodwork. In our case, SB was preventable.
Proposal:
1 Reporting. IVF clinics report on pregnancy success rates (e.g. SART), but do not take in to account outcomes. Clinics need to be accountable for ensuring a healthy outcome.
2. Prep and Prescribe Prenatals. A doctor who treats EDs and GCs must be responsible for this aspect of care and prescribe approved prenatals, including Folic Acid at least 2 months before any procedure.
3. Verify. Check homocysteine levels for the MTHFR mutation and measure vitamin deficiencies such as B12, D, and folate. If any issue is found, stop the procedure.