Pregnancy outcome following donor embryo replacement

To investigate the occurrence of adverse perinatal outcome among donor embryo pregnancies.

Thirty-five pregnancies following donor embryo replacement were delivered between 1990 and 1994. Thirty-two pregnancies following standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women of 34 years of age or older were delivered during the same time period. All pregnancies meeting study criteria and who conceived through the same assisted reproductive technology program were included. Patients electing multifetal pregnancy reduction in either group were excluded.

The patients were similar with regard to age and parity. There was no difference in the mean number of embryos transferred between the groups or between those conceiving singleton or multiple gestations. The occurrence of spontaneous abortion was 34% in the donor embryo group and 25% in the control IVF group. Of the continuing pregnancies, there was a trend toward more cesarean births in the donor embryo group, but it was not statistically significant. Birthweights and gestational ages also were not different between the groups. Preterm birth occurred in approximately one-third of the pregnancies in each group owing largely to the number of multiple gestations. The incidence of preeclampsia was 26% among donor embryo pregnancies and 29% among control group pregnancies. Adverse outcome defined as preterm birth with or without preeclampsia occurred in over one-third of the pregnancies in each group.

There is no increase in adverse perinatal outcome among donor embryo pregnancies compared to age-like control IVF pregnancies. Modest increases in the occurrence of adverse outcome among such pregnancies cannot be excluded by the data in the current report.