title: Obstetric and neonatal risk of pregnancies after assisted reproductive technology: a matched control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the obstetric and neonatal outcome of pregnancies after assisted reproduction technology (ART) in comparison with matched controls from spontaneous pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 920 deliveries at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Szeged, from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2001 were subjected to retrospective analysis. Two hundred and eighty-four singleton, 75 twin and 17 triplet pregnancies after ovulation induction (n = 114; 30.3%), intrauterine insemination (n = 33; 8.8%) and in vitro fertilization (n = 229; 60.9%) were evaluated. The pregnancy outcome of the singleton and twin pregnancies was compared with that for controls matched with regard to age, gravidity and parity and previous obstetric outcome after spontaneous pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four percent of the assisted reproductive pregnancies were multiple pregnancies. The incidences of singleton intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and preterm birth were reasonably similar to those among the controls (IUGR: 6.3% vs. 4.2%; preterm births: 13.0% vs. 9.9%, for the cases and the controls, respectively). As compared with the controls, there was an increased incidence of cesarean section among the singleton (41.2% vs. 34.5%, p = 0.12; OR 1.33; 95% CI 0.95-1.87) and twin assisted reproduction pregnancies (66.7% vs. 60.0%), but without significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased obstetric risk could be observed concerning threatened preterm delivery and cesarean section rate in the study group. The perinatal outcome of singleton and twin pregnancies following assisted reproductive techniques is comparable with that of spontaneously conceived, matched pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaáli Institute, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kozinszky
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zádori
authors.forename: Hajnalka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orvos
authors.forename: Márta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katona
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pál
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kovács
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008499:Medical Records; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies