Risk factors associated with preterm birth after IVF/ICSI

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Obstetrics
• Perinatology

Background:

• In vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) is linked to higher rates of preterm and early preterm birth.
• The specific risk factors, both general and procedure-related, contributing to these adverse pregnancy outcomes remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the independent risk factors associated with preterm birth and early preterm birth in women undergoing IVF/ICSI.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study involving 4328 infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI.
• Participants were categorized into early preterm birth, preterm birth, and full-term birth groups.
• Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to determine independent risk factors.

Main Results:

• Seven independent risk factors for preterm birth and four for early preterm birth were identified.
• Factors associated with both preterm and early preterm birth included advanced/young maternal age, multiple pregnancy, placenta previa, and embryo reduction.
• Gestational hypertension, elevated triglycerides, and shorter activated partial thromboplastin time were associated only with preterm birth.

Conclusions:

• Risk factors for preterm and early preterm birth in IVF/ICSI patients largely mirror those in natural pregnancies.
• Embryo reduction emerged as the sole risk factor specific to IVF/ICSI procedures.
• The limited number of early preterm birth cases may explain the absence of certain associations in this subgroup.