title: No adverse effects were identified on the perinatal outcomes after laser-assisted hatching treatment.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of laser-assisted hatching (LAH) by comparing obstetric and neonatal outcomes between assisted hatching and control groups in cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles. A retrospective cohort analysis was carried out. A total of 699 women with 392 infants delivered were included. Laser- assisted hatching was carried out on D-3 thawed and warmed embryos before transfer in 480 cryopreserved embryos transfer cycles. Obstetric outcomes, neonatal outcomes, and congenital birth defects were recorded. A total of 815 cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles (480 in LAH group and 335 in control group) in 699 patients were analysed. Statistically significantly higher implantation (31.85% versus 16.95%), clinical pregnancy (53.96% versus 33.43%) and live delivery (44.58% versus 23.88%) rates were observed in the LAH group (all P < 0.001). For either singleton or multiple gestations, no statistically significant differences were found in mean gestational age, mean birth weight and mean Apgar score. Four major malformations occurred in the assisted hatching group and three malformations (one major and two minor) in the control group. This study did not identify any harmful effect of LAH on neonates, which suggested that LAH may be a safe treatment in cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles.
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Center, Maternal & Child Health Care Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Houzai Gate 73#, Xi'an 710003, China.
authors.forename: Hanying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Internal Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, YouYiXilu 236#, Xi'an 710068, China.
authors.forename: Wanqiu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zao
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Center, Maternal & Child Health Care Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Houzai Gate 73#, Xi'an 710003, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Center, Maternal & Child Health Care Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Houzai Gate 73#, Xi'an 710003, China. Electronic address: shijuanzi123@126.com.
authors.forename: Juanzi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Center, Maternal & Child Health Care Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Houzai Gate 73#, Xi'an 710003, China.
authors.forename: Wenhao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000196:embryology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: frozen-thawed embryo transfer; laser assisted hatching; live birth rate; malformation; vitrification