Temporal Patterns in Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy Worldwide: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Ectopic pregnancy exhibits temporal patterns, yet standardized methods for analysis are lacking.
• Understanding these patterns may reveal environmental, biological, or sociocultural influences.
• Nearly a century of data exists, but a cohesive approach to trend investigation is absent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review global evidence on temporal patterns in tubal ectopic pregnancy rates.
• To evaluate methodologies used in studying these patterns.
• To identify research gaps hindering the inquiry into causal factors.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.
• Searched multiple databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, Google Scholar) in June 2024.
• Included peer-reviewed studies, gray literature, and editorials on seasonal, monthly, or quarterly fluctuations, extracting study characteristics, methods, trends, and hypotheses.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 32 studies from 18 countries (1932-2022).
• Many studies indicated seasonal or monthly peaks, but findings lacked global consistency.
• Heterogeneity in data sources, incidence denominators, and analysis methods (conception vs. diagnosis date) limited comparisons.

Conclusions:

• Significant methodological gaps impede the study of ectopic pregnancy temporal patterns.
• Future research requires standardized, conception date-based analysis using consistent time units (weeks/months).
• Incorporating outpatient records into datasets is crucial for improved temporal analysis and generalizability.