Reproductive outcomes following ectopic pregnancy: register-based retrospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
We aimed to compare reproductive outcomes following ectopic pregnancy (EP) versus livebirth, miscarriage, or termination in a first pregnancy.


RESULTS
A retrospective cohort study design was used. Scottish national data on all women whose first pregnancy occurred between 1981 and 2000 were linked to records of a subsequent pregnancy. The exposed cohort comprised women with an EP in their first pregnancy. There were three unexposed cohorts: women with livebirth, miscarriage, and termination of their first pregnancies. Any differences in rates of second pregnancy, livebirth, EP, miscarriage, or terminations and complications of a second ongoing pregnancy and delivery were assessed among the different exposure groups. A total of 2,969 women had an initial EP; 667,299 had a livebirth, 39,705 women miscarried, and 78,697 terminated their first pregnancies. Women with an initial EP had an increased chance of another pregnancy within 2 years (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 2.76 [95% CI 2.58-2.95]) or after 6 years (AHR 1.57 [95% CI 1.29-1.91]) compared to women with a livebirth. In comparison with women with an initial miscarriage, women who had an EP had a lower chance of a second pregnancy (AHR 0.53 [95% CI 0.50-0.56]). Compared to women with an initial termination, women with an EP had an increased chance of a second pregnancy (AHR 2.38 [95% CI 2.23-2.55]) within 2 years. Women with an initial EP suffered an increased risk of another EP compared to women with a livebirth (AHR 13.0 [95% CI 11.63-16.86]), miscarriage (AHR 6.07 [95% CI 4.83-7.62]), or termination (AHR 12.84 [95% CI 10.07-16.37]). Perinatal complications in a pregnancy following EP were not significantly higher than those in primigravidae or in women with a previous miscarriage or termination.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with an initial EP have a lower chance of conception than those who miscarry but an increased risk of a repeat EP in comparison with all three comparison groups. A major limitation of this study was the inability to separate women using contraception from those who were intending to conceive.
Obstetric Epidemiology, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. sohinee.bhattacharya@abdn.ac.uk
Sohinee
S
Bhattacharya
David J
DJ
McLernon
Amanda J
AJ
Lee
Siladitya
S
Bhattacharya
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012098:Reproduction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult