Impact of pregnancy loss following assisted reproductive treatment on outcomes of subsequent cycles.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article reviews recent literature on the impact of pregnancy loss in an embryo transfer on subsequent reproductive outcomes within assisted reproduction.

RECENT FINDINGS: Research supports that across fresh or frozen transfers with untested blastocysts, patients with a first biochemical or clinical pregnancy loss have a similar or decreased risk of pregnancy loss, and similar or improved pregnancy and live birth rates, compared to those with an implantation failure, in the subsequent cycle. While limited research has addressed the impact of pregnancy loss after a frozen embryo transfer with a euploid blastocyst, these patients appear to have similar odds of biochemical loss, clinical loss, and live birth in the next transfer cycle, compared to those who had a first failed transfer.

SUMMARY: Patients who experience a biochemical or clinical pregnancy loss after a first embryo transfer with an untested or euploid embryo can be reassured that they are not at increased risk of pregnancy loss or decreased risk of live birth in the subsequent cycle.