[Pregnancy course and outcome in 2956 pregnancies after in-vitro fertilization in Netherlands]

Description of the outcome of pregnancies after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in Dutch IVF centers.

Descriptive, retrospective.

Data were collected on IVF pregnancies in the period 1984-1992 from seven Dutch IVF centers.

The study comprised 2956 pregnancies. Five centres provided data on 2133 ongoing and non-ongoing pregnancies. More than 25% ended in a spontaneous abortion (22.3%) or ectopic pregnancy (3.6%). From the seven centres there were data available on 2311 ongoing pregnancies. Of these, 30.8% were multiple; preterm delivery occurred in 29.2%. The birth weight of 40.6% of 3173 neonates was lower than 2500 g and that of 10.1% lower than 1500 g. A birth weight under the 10th percentile of the national reference curve was found in 16.7% and under the 2.3rd percentile in 4.3% of cases. Perinatal mortality was 31.3 pro mille. In 1588 singleton pregnancies preterm birth occurred in 15.6%; 41.3% of the singletons weighed less than 2500 g, of which 3.6% less than 1500 g while 12.3% had a birth weight below the 10th percentile. The results of our study are similar to those of other major studies in the literature and are unfavourable compared with to Dutch reference values. This is mainly due to the high proportion of multiple pregnancies. However, we found indications of a slight disturbance of pregnancy in IVF singleton and twin pregnancies.