Couples who conceive through certain types of infertility treatment have a higher-than-normal chance of having a premature baby.
Couples who conceive through certain types of infertility treatment have a higher-than-normal chance of having a premature baby.
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) involves joining a woman's egg and a man's sperm in the lab, and in case fertilisation is successful, transferring one or more embryos to the woman's uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a type of IVF used for male fertility problems, including a low sperm count or poor sperm quality, and involves isolating a single sperm and injecting it directly into the egg.
To compare the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and admission of the newborn to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in women pregnant after infertility treatment and sub-fertile women with the risk in fertile women, researchers studied more than 20,000 Danish women and their babies born between 1989 and 2006.
It was found that those who had conceived through IVF or ICSI had a higher risk of preterm delivery. Of the 730 babies born to women who underwent IVF or ICSI, nearly 8 percent were premature and 1.5 percent were very premature - born before the 32nd week of pregnancy. A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. In comparison, roughly 5 percent of babies born to fertile mothers were premature, and 0.6 percent were born very preterm.
After accounting for factors like the mother's age, weight and exposure to cigarette smoking, IVF and ICSI procedures were still linked to a 53 percent higher risk of preterm delivery and a doubling of the odds of very premature birth. Other forms of fertility treatment - namely, fertility drugs and insemination - were not related to the risk of preterm delivery. The higher risk with IVF and ICSI was also not explained by higher rates of twin or higher-order births.
The above findings suggest that something about IVF and ICSI procedures themselves raises the odds of preterm birth. Since both IVF and ICSI procedures include hormone stimulation and mechanical procedures, these might influence the risk of preterm delivery.
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) involves joining a woman's egg and a man's sperm in the lab, and in case fertilisation is successful, transferring one or more embryos to the woman's uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a type of IVF used for male fertility problems, including a low sperm count or poor sperm quality, and involves isolating a single sperm and injecting it directly into the egg.
To compare the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and admission of the newborn to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in women pregnant after infertility treatment and sub-fertile women with the risk in fertile women, researchers studied more than 20,000 Danish women and their babies born between 1989 and 2006.
It was found that those who had conceived through IVF or ICSI had a higher risk of preterm delivery. Of the 730 babies born to women who underwent IVF or ICSI, nearly 8 percent were premature and 1.5 percent were very premature - born before the 32nd week of pregnancy. A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. In comparison, roughly 5 percent of babies born to fertile mothers were premature, and 0.6 percent were born very preterm.
After accounting for factors like the mother's age, weight and exposure to cigarette smoking, IVF and ICSI procedures were still linked to a 53 percent higher risk of preterm delivery and a doubling of the odds of very premature birth. Other forms of fertility treatment - namely, fertility drugs and insemination - were not related to the risk of preterm delivery. The higher risk with IVF and ICSI was also not explained by higher rates of twin or higher-order births.
The above findings suggest that something about IVF and ICSI procedures themselves raises the odds of preterm birth. Since both IVF and ICSI procedures include hormone stimulation and mechanical procedures, these might influence the risk of preterm delivery.
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