Study on Assisted Reproductive Technology

The study team examined U.S. National Inpatient Sample data that included all hospital discharges between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2016, from which records specifying the use of assisted reproductive technology and related cardiovascular and pregnancy-related complications were extracted.

The study also involved more than 106,000 deliveries conceived with assisted reproductive technology and more than 34,167,000 deliveries conceived without ART.

“Adverse pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure during pregnancy have now been established as risk factors for future cardiovascular disease. All of this has raised concerns about adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with assisted reproductive technology, yet studies on the topic are few and have inconsistent findings. A better understanding of the potential impact of assisted reproductive technology on women’s risks for cardiovascular- and pregnancy-related outcomes will help inform women considering assisted reproductive technology and is valuable after birth to develop cardiovascular risk reduction strategies,” says Wu.

Pregnancy and Vascular Complications

Following were found by the study:

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  Assisted reproductive technology was opted by older women of average age 35 years as compared to women of 28 years who conceived without ART.
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  A higher number of pre-existing health conditions like chronic hypertension, obesity, and diabetes were prevalent among those who conceived with assisted reproductive technology.
• Prevalence of acute kidney failure (or acute kidney damage) was more than 2.5 times and the risk for arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) was 65% higher among the women who were conceived using assisted reproductive technology.
• The study also noted a 57% higher risk of placental abruption (serious complication where the placenta separates from the lining of the uterus), 38% increased risk of Cesarean delivery, and a 26% higher risk for preterm birth among pregnancies conceived with assisted reproductive technology.
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  Women who had conceived with assisted reproductive technology also had an average hospital expense of $18,705 when compared to $11,983 for those who conceived without ART.

“We were surprised that assisted reproductive technology was independently associated with these complications, as opposed to being associated with only the existence of pre-existing health conditions or only among older women undergoing infertility treatment,” says Wu.

Need for Better counselling for ART

The present study thereby highlights the significance of counseling patients about health, pregnancy, and postpartum-related risks, who opt for assisted reproductive technology.

“Especially patients with existing cardiovascular risk factors should be counseled about the potentially long-term cardiovascular implications and risks associated with ART. It’s important for women to know that assisted reproductive technology carries a higher risk of pregnancy complications, which require close monitoring, particularly during delivery. Primary and specialist health care professionals should ensure these risks are communicated and strategies to mitigate them are discussed and implemented,” says Wu.

As the study was retrospective in nature, further records are needed to overcome the limitation of the study.

Reference :

1. Common infertility treatments may increase risks for pregnancy, vascular complications
   – (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/common-infertility-treatments-may-increase-risks-for-pregnancy-vascular-complications?preview=8a6a)

Source: Medindia