Perinatal Outcome Following Assisted Reproductive Technology Treatment at A Tertiary Fertility Center In Nepal.

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, an increasing number of babies have been born with the help of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment. While most births after ART are uncomplicated, sometimes it is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight and increased risk of congenital anomalies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the perinatal outcomes in children born after assisted reproductive technologies at a tertiary fertility center in Nepal. Methodology: This was a descriptive study which analyzed retrospective data collected from the medical record of a tertiary fertility center at Lalitpur, Nepal. Perinatal outcomes of total 201 births that resulted from various ART treatment that was conducted in the center from November 2015 till April 2021 have been included in this study. Univariate analysis was done in SPSS version 20. Results: Altogether, there were 201 total births out of which 199 were live births and 2 were stillbirths. Among the live births around two-third (69.7%) were singleton deliveries and remaining one- third (30.4%) were multiple deliveries. More than 90% of study population had undergone Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS). There were 263 live born babies resulting from 199 live births. More than half of the babies were born prematurely (50.19%). Low birth weight (LBW) and very low birth weight (VLBW) was seen among 36.50% and 7.22% babies respectively. Congenital abnormality was identified in 13 babies (4.94%) Four stillborn babies and eight neonatal deaths were reported. More adverse perinatal outcomes were seen among twins and triplets than singleton babies. Conclusion: While most births were uncomplicated, certain extent of adverse perinatal outcomes among the ART conceived babies cannot be ignored. Vigilant monitoring of pregnancy conceived by ART treatment helps in improving the perinatal outcome.