Population-based Swedish studies of outcomes after in vitro fertilisation

Various outcomes have been described during pregnancy and among infants born to women after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments. This mini-review summarises recent population-based Swedish studies about the short- and long-term effects of IVF on the infant and child, and also comments on disturbances of pregnancies and deliveries occurring after IVF.

Data on women who had IVF treatments and gave birth in Sweden during the period 1982-2001 were collected from all clinics performing IVF. By linkage with the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish Register of Congenital Malformations, the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register, the Swedish Cancer Register, and the Swedish Cause of Death Register, data on short- and long-term complications were retrieved.

From 1982 to 2001, a total of 13,261 women gave birth to 16,280 infants after IVF treatment. During the final years of the study, nearly half of the pregnancies occurred after intracytoplasmic sperm injection intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Characteristics of women who delivered after IVF were analysed. Various anomalies in pregnancy and delivery outcome were found, but few long-term effects.

Most deviations, except for multiple pregnancies, could be explained by parents characteristics, notably their subfertility status. Little difference was found between pregnancies after standard IVF and pregnancies after ICSI.