Pathology of the Placenta in Singletons after Assisted Reproductive Technology Compared to Singletons after Spontaneous Conception: A Systematic Review.

Background

We reviewed the literature comparing the pathological characteristics of singleton births conceived after assisted reproductive technology (ART) with those after spontaneous conception.

Methods

We reviewed PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Google Scopus, Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Web of Science for the previous 10 years, up to November 2022.

Results

Four eligible studies included 3445 placentas, 806 after ART (IVF/ICSI). Placentas after ART differed in frequency of retroplacental and marginal hematomas (p = 0.04), increased thickness (p = 0.02), higher overall occurrences of vascular and anatomical pathology (p < 0.001) and more frequent marginal (p = 0.001) and membranous (p = 0.02) umbilical cord insertion than placentas from non-ART pregnancies.

Conclusion

Further research is needed to determine the extent to which these placental changes in ART pregnancies alter its function and pregnancy outcome.