Assisted Reproductive Techniques in Latin America: The Latin American Registry, 2015

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health

Background:

• Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are increasingly utilized globally.
• Latin American countries have a growing ART sector with unique demographic and clinical characteristics.
• Understanding regional trends in ART utilization, effectiveness, and safety is essential for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utilization, effectiveness, and safety of ART in Latin America in 2015.
• To identify regional trends and patterns in ART procedures and outcomes.
• To assess the impact of multiple births on prematurity, morbidity, and perinatal mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective multinational data collection from 175 institutions across 15 Latin American countries.
• Analysis of assisted reproduction techniques including IVF, ICSI, frozen embryo transfer, oocyte donation, PGT, and fertility preservation.
• Examination of delivery rates, multiple birth rates, preterm deliveries, perinatal mortality, and embryo transfer strategies.

Main Results:

• ART cycles were predominantly performed in women aged 35-39 (41.25%) and ≥40 years (28.35%).
• Delivery rates per oocyte retrieval were 21.39% for ICSI and 24.29% for IVF (excluding freeze-all cycles).
• Multiple births (twins, triplets) were common (19.58% twins, 0.95% triplets), contributing to high rates of preterm delivery (64.94% in twins, 98.41% in triplets) and perinatal mortality.

Conclusions:

• Multiple births significantly increase risks of prematurity, morbidity, and perinatal mortality.
• Reinforcing the trend of reducing embryo transfers is mandatory to mitigate these risks.
• Optimizing ART practices in Latin America is necessary to improve maternal and infant outcomes.