Pregnancy, obstetric and neonatal outcome after assisted reproduction in Nigerians.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pregnancy, obstetric and neonatal outcome after assisted reproduction in Nigerians.

METHODS

Case control study of all confirmed pregnancies following assisted reproduction managed at the Havana Specialist Hospital (HSH), Lagos over a 7 year period.

RESULTS

Adverse obstetric and neonatal outcome occurred in 30.8% of pregnancy following assisted reproduction compared to 12.6% in spontaneously conceived pregnancy (p = 0.0003). Multiple pregnancy (<0.001), preterm delivery (p < 0.000), placenta praevia (0.00002), antenatal admission (0.02), early pregnancy bleeding (0.04), miscarriage (0.001) and caesarean delivery (<0.001) were significantly commoner in the assisted reproduction group. After adjustment for confounding variables, preterm delivery (OR: 5.95), miscarriage (OR: 5.84), multiple pregnancy (OR: 4.58), placenta praevia (OR: 4.13), caesarean delivery (OR: 3.57), early pregnancy bleeding (OR: 2.18) and antenatal admission (OR: 2.01) retained their significance.

CONCLUSION

This study has provided the first evidence from our part of the world showing that assisted pregnancy is associated with poorer obstetric outcome when compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancy.