Women with a history of infertility, whether they have been treated or not, are at greater risk of having babies that die soon after birth, according to a study published in The Lancet. This latest study of 1,514 women by Leicester University found that women who had suffered from infertility at some point in their lives were almost three times more likely than average to have babies that are stillborn or who die within a week of birth.
Earlier studies had shown that fertility treatments can leave women more susceptible to multiple births, premature or low weight babies with all the attendant health risks. But the latest research suggests for the first time that these complications may also be linked to the underlying infertility itself.
The study found that the risk of perinatal death in babies of women with a history of infertility who had not had treatment was 27 in 1,000, compared with 23 in 1,000 for those who had received treatment. The figure was just 9 in 1,000 for the fertile population.
Dr Elizabeth Draper from the department of epidemiology and public health at Leicester University, said that over half of the deaths of babies born of women who had not received treatment were connected with premature births.
Sources and References
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Infant deaths link to fertility
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Why might infertile couples have problem pregnancies?
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Assessment of separate contributions to perinatal ...
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