Obstetric morbidity in gestational carrier pregnancies: a population-based study

We sought to characterize severe obstetric morbidity among women who are gestational carriers compared to other patients.

This was a population-based study comparing gestational carrier pregnancies to non-surrogate pregnancies (non-surrogate IVF pregnancies, all non-gestational carrier pregnancies, and a cohort of matched controls) delivering in Utah between 2009 and 2018, using birth certificate data. Our primary outcome was a composite of severe morbidity, including death, ICU admission, eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, transfusion, and unplanned hysterectomy. Our secondary outcomes were cesarean delivery (CD) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

During the study period, 361 gestational carrier pregnancies and 509,015 other pregnancies resulted in live births. Severe morbidity was less common among gestational carrier pregnancies than IVF pregnancies (1.7% versus 5.5%, odds ratio [OR] 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12-0.70), but was not different when compared to all other pregnancies (1.0%, OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.72-3.60), or a cohort of matched controls (1.0%, OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.55-3.40). CD was less common among gestational carrier pregnancies than IVF pregnancies, but not different than all other pregnancies or matched controls. While frequency of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was lower among gestational carrier pregnancies than IVF pregnancies, it was higher than all other women who delivered and comparable to matched controls.

Severe obstetric morbidity is uncommon among gestational carrier pregnancies. Women who are gestational carriers are at lower risk of morbidity and CD than others who conceive through IVF and do not appear to be at increased risk compared to matched controls.