Women who become pregnant through assisted reproduction techniques face an increased risk of post-partum haemorrhage, researchers report today.
The risk is increased when these women become pregnant with multiple pregnancies, the researchers say.
The findings were released as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists released new guidelines on the care of post-partum haemorrhage.
The college warned that the problem is one of the key causes of maternal mortality – and there has been little sign of rates reducing in recent years. Between 2012 and 2014, the problem was responsible for 13 deaths.
The Norwegian study examined the background of more than 1,000 women who suffered severe post-partum haemorrhage – PPH – over a four-year period. These were compared with another 2,000 deliveries that did not face this problem.
The researchers found that 10.8% of the PPH deliveries involved women who had undergone assisted reproduction – ART. In the control group just 4% of women had used ART.
Among the small number of women who had multiple births, the difference between the two groups was 15 times.
Professor Adam Balen, from the college, said: “Further research into factors leading to severe PPH amongst women undergoing fertility treatment seems warranted.
“There has been a big drive to increase the use of elective transfer of a single embryo in IVF to reduce the rate of multiple pregnancy, which can pose a serious health risk both to the mother and baby.”
Dr Andrew Thomson, who helped draw up the guidelines, said: “Although relatively rare in the UK, there has been no significant reduction in the number of women dying from obstetric haemorrhage since 2009.
"These guidelines, which should be adopted by all obstetric-led units in the country, provide clinicians with best-practice advice and guidance on preventing and treating the condition.”
Assisted reproductive technology and severe postpartum haemorrhage: a case–control study BJOG 16 December 2016; doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.14471 [abstract]
Leave a Reply