Assisted Reproductive Technology and Pregnancy Outcome

Birth outcomes of intended pregnancies among women who used assisted reproductive technology, ovulation stimulation, or no treatment

“…Some studies have also found a greater risk of birth defects among singletons and multiples conceived using ART compared with those conceived without treatment (15)(16)(17)(18); however, the evidence is inconsistent and suggests that risk may be related to underlying infertility (19)(20)(21). Concern about long-term sequelae of ART use, such as neurodevelopmental problems, has been identified as an area needing further research (22)(23)(24)(25).…”

The impact of ovulation induction and ovarian stimulation on the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and on neonatal outcomes: A case/control study

“…Because twin pregnancies are more prevalent after ART and can modify pregnancy prognosis [2,5,6], we show in Table 2 the pregnancy outcomes only in women who delivered singletons. Smoking rate and weight gain during pregnancy were similar among the groups.…”

“…Pregnancies following assisted conceptions have been associated with a higher risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes and caesarean section [1][2][3][4][5][6] but the mechanisms underlying these associations need to be clarified [7]. Indeed, after exclusion of twin pregnancies, that carry specific over risks [1,2], the role of the underlying cause of infertility, such as a polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) [8] through the hormonal environment induced by hormonal stimulation and menstrual preconditioning [9], and the role of the diverse types of ovarian stimulation and assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures with mild or high estrogen levels [10], have been questioned.…”

Assessing the Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Children Born after Assisted Conception – The Role of Multiple Pregnancy and Preterm Delivery / Procena rizika od cerebralne paralize kod dece začete vantelesnim oplođenjem – uloga višestruke trudnoće i prevremenog rođenja

“…In a recent study by Zhu et al (33) 3.834 twins and 95 triplets), the authors identified 165 children diagnosed with CP (0.18%); 145 (0.17%) of them were singletons, 18 (0.47%) were twins and 2 (2.11%) were triplets. No significant differences in type and severity of CP (motor dysfunction and/or intellectual disability) between CP cases born after fertility treatment and those born without treatment were found.…”

“…Since then, more than two million babies have been delivered worldwide through the use of ART procedures (2). In vitro fertilization treatment alone now accounts for an estimated 1% of all births in the United States of America (3,4) and 1% to 4% of births in European countries (5) with a proven increase of the percentage of IVF singletons and twins from 1.4% in 1995 to 3.0% in 2000, with an average of 2.3% (6).…”