Assisted reproductive technologies include in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination techniques. Researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark report in the new issue of the British journal Human Reproduction that they surveyed 62,000 singleton babies and nearly 30,000 twin babies born through assisted reproduction techniques between 1988 and 2007 in the four countries mentioned above and compared their data with 362,000 singleton babies and 123,000 natural births during the same period twin babies over the same period. Henningsson, the expert who led the study, said, “We found that the risk of babies being born prematurely has been decreasing for 20 years. Among babies born through assisted reproductive technology, the rates of low or low birth weight, stillbirth and premature death have also been declining.” The report notes that the level of expertise in hospitals and clinics dedicated to dealing with infertility has increased as technology has evolved and experience has been gained. Many factors have led to healthier newborns born through assisted reproductive technologies. Commenting on the above study, Requeña, a specialist at the Valencia Institute of Infertility in Spain, said of assisted reproduction techniques, “We can be completely confident. There is no difference between children born through these techniques and those born naturally in terms of malformations, premature births and low birth weight.”