title: High-quality embryos retain their implantation capability in overweight women.
abstract: To assess the effect of obesity on implantation rate, pregnancy rate and course of pregnancy in young women undergoing IVF in whom only high-quality embryos were transferred, a cohort study included women attending the IVF unit in 2006-2007 with favourable parameters to achieve pregnancy (<38years, fewer than three IVF cycles, transfer of two high-quality embryos), grouped by body mass index (BMI). Of 230 women, 160 had a BMI ⩽25kg/m(2) (mean 21.6±2.2) and 73 had BMI >25kg/m(2) (mean 29.5±3.7). The overweight group had a higher consumption of gonadotrophins during stimulation. There were no between-group differences in treatment protocols, duration of gonadotrophin stimulation, maximal oestradiol concentrations, endometrial thickness and number of oocytes retrieved/fertilized, or in rates of pregnancy (51.3%, 52.1%), implantation (34.5%, 37.5%), multiple pregnancy, and abortion. Rate of gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced hypertension was higher in the overweight group (23.3%, 8.2%; P=0.045). Within the overweight group, those with multiple pregnancies were at highest risk (31.3%, 6.9%; P=0.031). In conclusion, implantation and pregnancy rates are not compromised in overweight women when high-quality embryos are transferred. However, in overweight women, pregnancy complications remain high, mainly in those with multiple pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Infertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva 49100, Israel. j_farhi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farhi
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben-Haroush
authors.forename: Onit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sapir
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fisch
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashkenazi
mesh_terms: D001757:Blastomeres / Q000166:cytology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies