Failed IVF cycles and the risk of subsequent preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction: a case-control exploratory study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the hypothesis that women achieving pregnancy after two or more failed embryo transfers (ETs) of good quality embryos have increased incidence of preeclamptic toxemia (PET) or fetal growth restriction (FGR) compared with those conceiving in the first ET after in vitro fertilization (IVF).


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
Tertiary infertility center.


METHODS
Women who underwent IVF at the St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester, between January 2000 and June 2008 and conceived in the first ET, versus those who conceived after two or more failed ETs.


METHODS
Retrospective case-note review.


METHODS
Incidence of PET or FGR.


RESULTS
Case notes of 364 eligible patients were identified: 125 conceived after two or more failed ETs and 239 in the first ET. The incidence of the primary outcome (PET or FGR) for the total number of pregnancies showed no significant difference between cases and controls (age and multiplicity adjusted odds ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 0.5-3.0). There were no significant differences between case and control subjects for the secondary outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
This study failed to demonstrate that women conceiving after two or more unsuccessful ETs are at increased risk of PET or FGR. More studies are required to investigate the relationship further.
Tsoumpou
Ioanna
I
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Central Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, Preston, United Kingdom.
Mohamed
Ahmed M
AM
Tower
Clare
C
Roberts
Stephen A
SA
Nardo
Luciano G
LG
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010929:Placentation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure