Obstetric outcome after infertility

Abstract

Summary Pregnancy was confirmed in 149 women attending an infertility clinic and 136 (91 per cent) were followed up to the end of pregnancy. Fifty-six women had received no treatment before conception, 55 had had ovulation stimulation therapy and 25 had had other treatments. Age and social class did not differ significantly between groups. There were 11 (9 per cent) spontaneous abortions, one ectopic pregnancy, one therapeutic abortion for a fetal anomaly and 123 viable pregnancies. Fifty-eight per cent went into spontaneous labour, but in the group who received other treatments the rate was only 39 per cent (P < 0·1). Primigravidas in the ‘no treatment’ group had a spontaneous delivery rate of 21 per cent compared with 49 per cent in the ‘ovulation stimulation’ group (P < 0·025). There were 2 fetuses with congenital abnormalities in the second group and a total of 3 perinatal deaths. The outcome of pregnancy from women attending this fertility clinic was almost normal with no increased morbidity.