COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF NON-ART CONCEPTION AND PRETERM NEONATES DELIVERED USING ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Background: Studies on the outcomes of extremely preterm neonates delivered with assisted reproductive 
technologies are rare and have produced inconsistent findings in the literature.  
Aim: to evaluate in comparison the outcomes of non-ART conception and preterm neonates delivered using assisted 
reproductive technologies (ARTs). 
Methods: The extremely preterm newborns who were hospitalised to the institute's neonatal unit throughout the 
research period and born between 26 and 31 weeks gestation were evaluated in this study. The composite adverse 
outcome of mortality was the main outcome that was evaluated, along with any other significant morbidities such as 
ROP (retinopathy of prematurity), BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) at 36 weeks, grade II or higher PVL 
(periventricular leukomalacia), and IVH (intraventricular haemorrhage) grade III or higher that required medical 
attention.  
Results: 380 newborns were evaluated for the research; 127 were in the ART group and 258 were in the non-ART 
group. The neonates were matched for age, gender, and small for gestational age (SGA). With OR (95% CI) of 0.84 
(0.53-1.34), ROP needing treatment of 0.47 (0.12-1.69), BPD of 1.16 (0.35-3.74), death of 0.91 (0.51-162), and other 
morbidities, neonates in the ART group had comparable rates of composite unfavourable outcomes.  
Conclusion: In comparison to neonates delivered using non-assisted reproductive procedures, the current study's 
conclusions indicate that extremely preterm newborns born by assisted reproductive techniques do not have an 
increased risk of unfavourable neonatal outcomes.