In February, we reported on unregulated fertility treatments that expose thousands of women and their future children to known and unknown hazards each year ["Sally Has 2 Mommies and 1 Daddy," March]. Research suggests that assisted reproductive technologies (ART) -- like in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection -- may double the risk of serious birth defects. Still, theyre routinely offered to patients, with little governmental oversight.

In our March feature story, Sally Has 2 Mommies + 1 Daddy, life sciences associate editor Rebecca Skloot noted that each year, thousands of women expose themselves and their future children to fertility treatments . Yet most of these treatments have not been tested for safety, and are not subject to regulation. These technologies—like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the method used for injecting sperm into eggs—have now been connected to a risk of serious birth defects.