Conception after early IVF pregnancy loss: should we wait?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Pregnancy Loss

Background:

• Early pregnancy loss is a common complication of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
• The optimal timing for reinitiating IVF treatment after a pregnancy loss remains a clinical question.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the interval between an early pregnancy loss and the subsequent IVF treatment cycle predicts clinical pregnancy achievement.
• To explore the association between the type of miscarriage and the interval to the next IVF cycle.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 257 women undergoing IVF after first-trimester pregnancy loss.
• Data collected from a tertiary medical center between January 2014 and January 2018.
• Miscarriage types included spontaneous, biochemical, medical, and surgical; analysis used Kaplan-Meier and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• The interval to subsequent IVF treatment was not significantly associated with achieving pregnancy.
• Shorter intervals were observed after spontaneous or biochemical miscarriages compared to medical or surgical ones.
• The number of embryos transferred and the type of miscarriage (medical/surgical linked to lower pregnancy likelihood) affected subsequent pregnancy chances.
• Shorter intervals post-miscarriage were associated with increased live birth chances in the first post-miscarriage cycle.

Conclusions:

• IVF treatment should not be postponed after pregnancy loss.
• Shorter intervals between pregnancy loss and subsequent IVF cycles are associated with a greater likelihood of live birth.